


Broken Things

by IceQueenofMitera



Series: Broken [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-10
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-12 14:27:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 56,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2113362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceQueenofMitera/pseuds/IceQueenofMitera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek Hale’s life hasn’t been easy. Between dealing with the deaths of his family and most of his pack, Derek’s a bit broken. And his life has just gotten more complicated with the return of a ghost from his past. Seeking to warn his current pack, a chance encounter with a new addition to the animal clinic sets him on a more personal path.</p><p>Isabel Sullivan’s chance encounter with a man with a bad boy reputation has awakened something in her heart that she didn’t want awakened. But when Isabel’s own past catches up to her, her only choice may be to trust the one person her heart wants most, even if it forces her to pay a price she isn’t willing to pay.</p><p>When a new threat to Beacon Hills arrives, leaving death in its wake, all clues point to the newcomer. Will they discover the truth and be able to combat it before more hearts are broken? Or will Isabel’s past and secret destroy them all?</p><p> </p><p>Author’s Note: Broken Things takes place as if the events of Season 4 hasn’t happened. There will also be headcanon included. Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. La Loba

Derek Hale was thrown against the table in his loft. The Hunters that had caught him and his uncle, Peter, in South America had found his Beacon Hills, California loft, having waited until after dark to break in. Their leader, Severio Calavera, pumped a shotgun and then pointed it at him.

“Now, my friend, do you want to tell us about La Loba?” The Calaveras had wanted him and Peter to tell them where a she-wolf was and they seemed convinced that the two surviving Hales knew where she was. Peter had even briefly lost a finger before they were rescued by Braeden, a woman sent by an Alpha named Deucalion. An Alpha who had actually tried to kill him several weeks before their capture. Derek reached up and wiped away the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth from the sucker punch. “Where’s the she-wolf?” In truth, there was only one she-wolf he knew. And there was no way in hell he was revealing her location after having thought her dead for six years and then giving up his own Alpha status to save her life. Derek tasted blood and spit as he walked towards Severio. The other Hunters with him pointed their own guns at him.

“You should just go ahead and kill me,” he said defiantly. “Because you’re never going to find Cora,”

“Cora? Who the hell is Cora?” Severio asked, confused. If they weren’t after his sister, then what she-wolf were they after? A smoke canister flew over their heads. A flash went off, momentarily blinding Derek and he dropped to a crouch and moved to the right, completely clueless on what was going on. The Hunters turned and started looking for the intruder. He knew it wasn’t Chris, he knew the former Hunter’s scent well and he wouldn’t have used a flash bang around him. Derek looked around for the intruder as well as the room filled with smoke. The Hunters were shouting to each other in Spanish. Derek heard an unfamiliar growl. The werewolf searched the room, but the smoke didn’t allow him any more visibility than the Hunters, but caught a vaguely familiar scent. Suddenly, one of the Hunters went down with a cry of surprise.

“Light ‘em up!” Severio shouted. The Hunters started shooting. Derek stayed low to avoid the bullets, he had no doubt they were laced with wolfsbane, all while trying to see who the intruder was. Whoever they were, they were quick. Even Kali, the worst Alpha in the Alpha Pack that had descended on Beacon Hills with the intent of forcing him and Scott into their ranks, wasn’t that fast. One by one, the Hunters were felled. When all quieted, Derek slowly stood. He whipped his head around at the sound of a shotgun being pumped.

“This has to be a dream,” he muttered when he saw who had killed the Hunters. Blond hair. Leather jacket. White shirt. Tight jeans. Shotgun pointed directly at him. She smiled and pulled the trigger. Derek didn’t dodge in time and he took the buckshot to the stomach. He fell to his knees, the pain bringing him somewhat out of his shock. He knew then that this was no dream as he looked down at the wound. “It’s real,” he whispered. He looked up at her. “You’re real,” Kate Argent walked closer to him, shotgun at her side. How was she alive? Peter had ripped her throat out after discovering that she’d been the one who’d set the fire at the Hale House that had killed all but four of the Hales and put Peter into a six year healing coma. Even her own brother had turned against her because she’d broken the Argents’ honor code of hunting only werewolves that had taken a human life. Many of her victims had been human, not all the Hales had been born werewolves after all.

“That’s right, Derek,” she said. “If seeing me is a surprise, watch this,” Her eyes turned green, almost like a cat’s, her skin turned blue and fangs extended as she growled. Derek’s eyes widened. Peter had been an Alpha at the time of Kate’s death. There were two ways he knew of to turn a human. The Bite and a scratch that went deep enough. Kate had survived because of Peter’s claws. And now she had returned to finish Derek off, like she had been planning to do that night had Chris not stopped her werewolf killing spree. He had a stray wonder if this was who the Hunters had been looking for. Kate extended her claws. Just as she pulled her arm back to slash Derek, a crashing sound brought both their attentions to the skylight as something crashed through it. A bright light blinded Derek and Kate hissed as they turned away from the source. Derek fell to his side, realizing the buckshot had been laced with wolfsbane. He heard what sounded like a body hitting the metal door before something grabbed him from behind.

“Hang in there,” a woman’s voice whispered.

“Just hang in there,” Derek’s world started going black as he felt himself being lifted into the air.

 

“He’ll be fine,” Dr. Alan Deaton said. “I don’t know what happened, but he’s lucky to have survived,”

“How did you know he…?” Scott McCall trailed off.

“I got a call from his phone but when I answered there was only silence, but I could hear the dogs in the background. He was lying next to the back door. Whoever dropped him off here knew to call me,” The two were standing in the lobby of Beacon Hills Animal Clinic. Derek was on the exam table in the next room, recovering from his brush with death. Scott had worked for the veterinarian for years before being bitten by a werewolf nearly two years earlier. The irony was not lost on Scott that Deaton worked on supernatural creatures when he wasn’t working on pets.

“You look disturbed,”

“Who brought him here? And how did they know to bring him here?” Scott shook his head.

“Another Druid?” “The only other one that I know of in Beacon Hills is my sister, but she would have called me from her own phone, not Derek’s,” Deaton thought for a moment. “Do you know if any other wolves are in the area?”

“She wasn’t a wolf,” Derek looked like death warmed over as he braced himself against the doorframe.

“You shouldn’t be up,”

“I’m healing now that the wolfsbane’s out,”

“Wait,” Scott said. “She?” Derek shook his head.

“I didn’t see her. I just heard her voice,”

“What happened?” Deaton made Derek sit down in the chair behind the front desk.

“When Peter and I took Cora back to South America, we were caught by a family of Hunters, the Calaveras, after we dropped her off. They kept asking for the location of a she-wolf they called La Loba,” Scott looked up at Deaton. He shook his head. “We thought we’d thrown them, but they broke into my loft,” Derek looked up at Scott. “Have you heard from Peter?”

“No why?”

“Because we have a huge problem that goes by the name of Kate,”

“Kate? Kate Argent!?”

“The very same,”

“Peter killed her! He ripped —,”

“Peter was an Alpha, Scott. The Bite isn’t the only way to turn someone,”

“Holy…,”

“Yeah. She almost killed me. What do you think she’ll do to Peter?”

“We need to find him before Kate does,”

 

“Kate? As in Chris’ psycho sister that burned Derek’s family alive, tortured him, and then tried to kill both of you before Peter ripped her throat out?” Scott sighed. He and Stiles Stilinski were leaving school. It felt different without the Twins and Isaac Lahey around. A part of Ethan seemed to have died with Aiden and Isaac was looking for a way to keep the nogitsune, Void, from ever escaping again. The two had even left town together. All that was currently left of Scott’s pack was Stiles, a Banshee, a kitsune and a werecoyote. And on most days, Derek and Peter. The rest of the time, the two Hales were their own pack. When they weren’t fighting with each other. There seemed to still be bad blood between the two over the death of Derek’s older sister.

“The same Kate,”

“How in holy hell is that possible?”

“Do you also remember how Derek slashed open Peter’s throat?”

“And then Lydia used Derek to resurrect him. So unless she managed to control another Banshee to use an Alpha to resurrect her, how in the hell is she even alive?”

“I don’t know. She went after Derek, intent on killing him. But something stopped her. Derek never saw her,”

“Her?”

“He said something came through the skylight. He couldn’t see features because she was surrounded by a bright light,”

“Kinda like the flash bangs that Chris and Allison used to use,” Stiles saw the look in Scott’s eyes at the mention of his first love. She’d died protecting Isaac while they were fighting to save Stiles from the nogitsune, finding in the process that the Oni, demon ninjas that Void stole from an older kitsune, could be killed by silver. “I’m sorry, Scott,” Scott shook his head.

“He said she whispered in his ear and then he passed out after that,”

“I guess we had just better be glad it wasn’t the rare wolfsbane,”

“No kidding,” Kira Yukimura, Lydia Martin and Malia Tate joined them.

“What happened at Derek’s loft?” Lydia asked.

“He was attacked by Hunters. Someone dropped him off at the clinic and called Deaton from his phone,” Stiles and Malia looked at Lydia.

“What? It wasn’t me,”

“Whoever it was saved his life,” Scott sat on his dirt bike and retrieved his helmet. “I’m heading to work. Do you know where Derek went?”

“He’s either at your place or mine. He can’t go back to the loft or his house,”

“He has a house?” Malia asked.

“If by house, you mean half burnt, abandoned and taken over by the county afterwards, then yes,” Stiles said. “He has a house,” Scott gave him an exasperated look.

“I’ll see you guys later,” He revved up his bike and drove off.

 

“ _We are seriously screwed_ ,” Peter Hale had finally answered his phone and Derek had caught him up to speed with their problem.

“That’s an understatement,” Derek was currently sitting in the Stilinskis’ living room. Stiles’ father, who happened to also be the sheriff of Beacon County, wasn’t home and this and the McCall house were the only two places he felt halfway safe at. “Not only does she have access to weapons that will kill us she now has claws and fangs to go with them,”

“ _Why now? Why show up now?_ ”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know how she even survived!”

“ _You know you really should be more selective with your girlfriends. Two out of three have been psychotic_ ,”

“Shut the hell up!”

“ _I do wonder how Paige—_ ,”

“Don’t you dare talk about Paige!”

“ _Calm down, Derek. Didn’t think I could rile you like that still_ ,”

“Don’t mention her again,” Derek growled. They were fifteen when Paige died, thanks to Peter’s suggestion that Derek find an Alpha to turn her. It was why his wolf eyes were blue and not yellow.

“ _So what are you planning on doing?_ ”

“She’ll be looking for the Alpha,” Derek paused. “Oh, crap,”

“ _What?_ ”

“Scott’s the Alpha now. She’s going to go after him,”

“ _Derek!_ ” Derek hung up on Peter and bolted out of the room.

 

Derek pulled up to the animal clinic. He saw both Deaton’s Subaru Forrester and Scott’s bike outside, along with a midnight blue Mustang he didn’t know and assumed it was a client. He took a deep breath and only smelled Deaton, Scott and someone he was unfamiliar with. He made himself walk into the clinic. Normally, the bell on the door would alert Scott that someone had come into the clinic. But this time, a young woman who looked to be slightly older than Derek was sitting at the front desk. He stopped when she looked up. She had dark hair and green eyes. Their eyes met and she smiled. She reminded him so much of Paige.

“Hi,” she said. The smile made her eyes dance. “How may I help you?” Derek recovered and gave his own smile.

“Actually I’m looking for Scott McCall,”

“And you are?”

“I’m Derek. I’m a friend of his,”

“It’s alright,” Deaton appeared in the doorway leading to the exam room. “He can come on back,” The woman opened the door leading to the back, breaking the Mountain Ash barrier in the process and allowing Derek to pass through. Because of Deaton’s position with the old Hale Pack, he’d made sure to protect himself from rogue supernaturals by remodeling the clinic and putting in wood made from the Mountain Ash tree, a powerful supernatural deterrent, in the walls. It protected Deaton and anyone else from werewolves and other creatures that meant them harm. Scott was genuinely surprised to see him when he walked into the back with Deaton.

“What are you doing here, Derek? Kate—,” Scott started to say in a low voice.

“Kate’s after the Alpha,” Derek explained quickly. “She has to be,”

“You think she’ll come after me?”

“She came after me because she knew that I knew who the Alpha was. That’s why she was torturing me in the tunnel under the house. If she’s one of us now, I’m sure she’ll know an Alpha when she sees one,”

“What do you mean ‘if’?”

“She didn’t look like a wolf when she shifted,”

“The shape you take reflects the person you are,” Derek nodded. He’d said the very same thing to Scott when they were trying to figure out who the kanima, a lizard like creature that was sent on a killing spree, was.

“Exactly,” Deaton rubbed his chin.

“What exactly did she look like when she shifted?”

“Her skin turned blue. Dark blue. And she had green eyes,”

“Was there a pattern?”

“Darker around the edges of her face,”

“It actually sounds like one of the werefelines,” Deaton said.

“But she was scratched by a werewolf, wouldn’t that make her one?”

“I bit Jackson and he became a kanima,”

“We’ll finish this conversation at my house,” A moment later, the woman from the front desk walked into the back.

“Everything is ready for in the morning. I’m going to head home,”

“Thanks, Isabel,” Isabel glanced over at Derek.

“Oh, Isabel. I’m sorry,” Scott said. “This is my friend Derek Hale. Derek, this is Isabel Sullivan,”

“Beacon Hills’ resident bad boy,” Isabel said with a smile. “Nice to finally be able to put a face to the name,” She held her hand out and Derek shook it.

“What exactly have you been saying about me?”

“You earned that one on your own,” Derek gave Scott a look and Isabel laughed. It was a beautiful laugh that matched her smile.

“I’ll know next time to just let you back. Bye, Dr. Deaton, Scott, Derek,” Isabel gave him another smile before turning and leaving the room. Derek turned back to the others to see them both with amused smiles on their faces.

“What?”

“I think she liked what she saw,” Scott said with a grin.

“Shut up,” He wouldn’t say it out loud, but he was curious about Isabel. About the woman who reminded him of his long dead girlfriend.

 

Chris Argent slid open the door to Derek’s loft. He’d called him a few hours earlier and told him what happened. Glass, shell casings, a silver canister and Hunters lay about the floor. Chris slid the door shut and noticed the dent. Something hit the heavy metal door hard. Three Hunters were down. He turned one over and recognized him as one of Araya’s, the leader of the Calaveras, a family of Mexican Hunters that also served as enforcers of the Code.

“What the hell were you doing here?” He picked up one of the spent shell casings, the Argent seal stamped into it. The same seal that had been stamped into the casing Derek had shown him after the Twins were attacked in the woods while looking for a missing Lydia. Chris reached into his inside jacket pocket for his phone when he heard the latch being lifted. He drew his gun and spun around, still crouched. An older, Hispanic women with dark hair cut short was standing in the doorway. Chris’ jaw set and he sighed.

“Sending your people into my territory, now, Araya?”

“I told you, Christophe, our families cannot abandon our duties lightly. Now the lobito has killed my men,” Chris knew she was referring to Derek.

“This wasn’t Derek’s doing,”

“You are on a first name basis with the monster,” Chris stood, his .45 still in his hand.

“Derek isn’t the monster you’re looking for. He’s just a tool for you to use to get what you want,”

“So you admit he is a monster,”

“He never was,”

“Why are you defending him? Hunters do not defend werewolves,”

“ _Nous protégeons ceux qui ne peuvent pas se protéger eux-mêmes_ ,” Araya looked over at him. “We protect those who cannot protect themselves, Araya. That is my Code now,”

“A foolish one. And one that got your daughter killed,” Chris’ nostrils flared.

“The Code you follow got the rest of my family killed,” He stepped close to Araya. “If you go near any of the wolves or do any Hunting here, you will find yourself in my crosshairs,”

“All I want is La Loba,”

“You’re too late. The last she wolf here was murdered by another pack. Now get out,” Araya only smiled before she turned. She stopped at the door and turned and looked at Chris again.

“I will be returning to collect my men,” She then left, sliding the door hard enough for it to slam shut. Chris replaced his gun to its holder before he pulled his phone out and dialed Derek.

“ _Yeah_ ,”

“The loft is a mess. You were right about something coming through the skylight. Whatever it was broke all of the glass,”

“ _She_ ,”

“What?”

“ _Whatever kind of creature she is, I know she’s female_ ,”

“I thought you said you couldn’t see it?”

“ _I didn’t, but she did speak to me_ ,”

“Where are you right now?”

“ _Scott’s_ ,”

“I’ll meet you there. There’s something I need to show you,”

“ _And I have something I’d rather tell you in person_ ,” Chris hung up and sighed before heading up to the roof. He searched for any clues to Derek’s mystery woman. He caught sight of something on the ground and approached it. Chris crouched down and examined it. He reached down with a gloved hand and touched what looked like mostly dried tar. Then he realized who ever rescued Derek had escaped using the roof. He knew wolfbaned werewolf blood when he saw it. But why the roof?

 

Derek took the casing from Chris.

“This has the same crest as the one I found in the woods after the Twins were ambushed,”

“Precisely. That crest belongs to my family. It doesn’t make sense. The only one that liked using the shotgun was…,”

“Kate,” Derek finished. “Which is what I wanted to tell you in person,” Chris gave Derek a puzzled look.

“Are you saying Kate was in your loft?”

“I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around it myself. I didn’t think it was real at first. Until she shot me,”

“Impossible,” Derek sighed.

“It should be, but somehow Peter’s claws turned her,”

“Are you saying my psychotic sister is a werewolf!?”

“Not exactly,” Scott said. “Deaton is looking it up but he thinks she’s a werefeline. He’s researching what kind,” The expression on Chris’ face changed. “What?”

“I think I know who La Loba is,”

“Wait, you think they’re chasing Kate?” Derek asked.

“They have to be. She was here attacking the Twins before the Hunters broke into your loft. And then she conveniently shows up at your loft,”

“She was going to kill me. I think she came back for revenge,” “On who?” “A few nights before she died, she caught me and started torturing me looking for Peter and Scott. She had every intention of killing me, but Scott helped me break free on the night she died,” Chris looked over at Scott and he nodded a confirmation. “She was going to kill both of us that night,”

“Which explains why I didn’t see you until after the fight,”

“By the time I had her bullet pushed out of my chest, you were out cold, Kate was dead and Scott was challenging Peter in order to protect Allison,”

“You think she came back to kill the three of you,”

“I believe so,”

“I’m not going to let her,” He placed a hand on Derek’s shoulder. “She’s not going to kill the only reasons I’m still in Beacon Hills,”

 

“You weren’t kidding when you said you didn’t have much stuff,” Michelle Montgomery said, sitting on the bed in the second bedroom. Isabel only had a duffle and laptop bag.

“I moved around a lot,” Isabel only offered. “When you move around a lot, you tend to not collect a bunch of stuff,”

“How often did you move?”

“I think the longest I stayed in one place was two months. I’m really hoping to make Beacon Hills my last stop. I’m really tired of relocating all the time,”

“Glad you quit that job. Although I have no idea why they never offered you a position at their headquarters,” Isabel shrugged.

“Their loss,” She pulled out her laptop and set it on the desk. “Thanks for agreeing to let me be your roommate,”

“Living in a hotel sucks. I think you’ve lived in enough hotels,” Isabel smiled. She’d been working at the clinic for a couple of weeks now. Michelle’s father owned Beacon Hills Residency Hotel, where she’d been staying since arriving in the Northern California town and she had met Michelle there. The two hit it off instantly and Michelle offered to let her move in when she found out that Isabel was actually living in one of the long term rooms. “So what do you think about Dr. Deaton?”

“He’s a cool boss. He always has great advice for his clients and so patient. Scott really knows his way around animals. All of them seem to submit to him, like he’s an alpha or something,”

“Scott’s always had a way with animals. Before my dog died, he was always with him. The day he died, Scott sat with me as I said goodbye. Dr. Deaton said that Scott spent a lot of time with him,”

“He really loves his job. That’s for sure,” Isabel started to put away some of her clothes. “I got to meet one of Scott’s friends today. And he was a looker. Those eyes of his…,”

“Sounds like somebody already has a crush. On jailbait,”

“He looked like he was in his twenties,” Isabel thought about those olive colored eyes again and smiled to herself.

“Did you get his number?”

“No,” she paused. “Should I have?” Michelle chuckled.

“Did Scott at least introduce you two?”

“He did. His name is Derek,” Michelle’s grin faded.

“Derek? Derek Hale?” Isabel turned to her friend.

“Yeah. Do you know him?”

“Looker or not, that is one man you should steer clear of,”

“Why?”

“He dated my best friend in high school. Hold on,” Michelle walked out of the room. A moment later she came back with a framed photo of two teenagers. One of the girls was a dark haired, dark eyed girl with a mole under her left eye and a beautiful smile. “Her name was Paige. She had everything going for her. I think she would have become a famous cello player if she hadn’t met Derek,”

“What happened?”

“She was in love with him. She didn’t hang out with him at school. Neither one of us liked his friends. They were a bunch of assholes. Derek could have had any girl at school. He was on the basketball team and we were champions. All the girls wanted to date a guy on the basketball team. But Derek chose Paige,”

“So a popular boy dated your best friend,”

“It wasn’t just because he was popular. The Hales were once well respected in Beacon Hills. Everyone loved Talia, Derek’s mom. They had a huge family. They did seem to have a rivalry with the Argents, come to think of it,”

“Back to why you hate Derek for dating your best friend,”

“One day, Derek slips her a note asking her to meet him at the school that night. I didn’t think it was a good idea, but she was so in love with him that she went anyway. A couple hikers found her body in the woods a week later,”

“Derek killed her?” Michelle sighed.

“No. She had an animal bite on her side, scratches from claws and a broken neck. The cops figured that she went through the woods on her way to the school to meet Derek and was attacked by a wild animal,”

“But you blame Derek because that was who she was going to meet,”

“Yes, I do,”

“And you’ve hated him ever since, haven’t you?”

“I did feel sorry for him when he lost almost his entire family in a fire about seven years ago,”

“That’s awful!”

“Last year, his sister was killed by a mountain lion and his last girlfriend disappeared after a series of brutal murders. She’s probably dead too,”

“What makes you think that?”

“Everyone he ever dates, dies. So you steer clear of Derek Hale,”


	2. Party Crasher

“A what?” Stiles asked. “A werejaguar?”

“Yes, a werejaguar,” Deaton replied.

“How is that even possible? How does a werewolf make a werejaguar?”

“The same way a werewolf makes a kanima,” Derek said.

“What is with you two making non-werewolves? Is it a Hale thing?” Derek and Peter glared at Stiles. “I haven’t seen the ‘I’m going to kill you slowly and painfully’ look from Derek for a while. Kinda missed it,”

“Stiles,

“Hmm?”

“Shut up,”

“And the sour wolf is back,”

“I’m with Derek on this,” Peter added. “Shut up,” Kira and Malia were looking completely lost at this point.

“You two have no idea who we’re talking about, do you?”

“Nope,” Malia answered.

“Kate Argent is Chris’ sister,” Derek started to explain.

“And Derek’s psychotic ex-girlfriend who set a fire that burned eight people to death,” Peter chimed in. Derek looked like he was ready to set fire to Peter again. Scott’s eyebrows shot up.

“Ex-girlfriend? You two dated?” Derek avoided the question. Obviously, Stiles had kept that secret. Derek didn’t know how Stiles knew about his relationship with Kate, but it seemed that he had never mentioned it to Scott.

“Long story short, she murdered most of our family by setting fire to our house and making it look like an electrical short. The Argents, at the time, had a code of hunting only adult werewolves that they had undeniable proof of them killing a human. Kate threw that away when she set that fire and tried to kill me several times over the next six years,”

“You dated a werewolf hunter?” Malia asked.

“So did I,” Scott added. “And you didn’t answer my question,”

“Yes, we dated,” Derek sighed, seeing that Scott wasn’t going to drop the subject. “A long time ago. Kate used me to get to my family. Peter killed her by ripping out her throat. At least we thought she was dead,”

“I don’t get it,” Kira said. “If Peter killed her, how did she become a jaguar?”

“The shape you take reflects the person you are,” Derek and Scott said at the same time. Malia looked amused.

“Okay, that’s not unnerving at all,” Peter said. “You two have spent way too much time around one another,” Deaton smiled.

“But they are correct. Peter was also an Alpha at the time as well. Only Alphas can make new werewolves. This can be achieved by a bite or a deep enough scratch,”

“What about the rainwater from a werewolf’s footprint?” Stiles asked.

“Where did you hear that load of crap?” Peter asked.

“That answers that,”

“The scratch obviously didn’t kill her,”

“Then who is buried in her grave?” Lydia asked the question they were all thinking.

“That sounds like a job for the Banshee,” Peter stated.

“I’m not digging up a body,”

“You don’t have to, sweetheart,” He gave her one of his smiles. “All you have to do is listen,”

 

 

The man dropped into Derek’s loft, tucking his black wings behind him. He was shirtless, showing off a chiseled physique. He had dark hair that framed his face. Four more, three men and a woman, dropped down behind him. All four had black wings like him. The men were shirtless and the woman had on a halter top. The man looked up, his eyes glowing a bright green.

“She was here. Her scent is strong,”

“Others were here as well,” one of the men started. The woman crouched, touching her fingers to the floor. When she lifted them back up, they were stained with something black.

“A wolf,” she said, inhaling through her nose. “Hunters must have found them. I smell wolfsbane,”

“And a jaguar. There was a fight here,”

“She must have come looking for the Hale Pack,” their leader said. “They will regret harboring her. I will tear the pack apart until they give her to me,” He turned to them. Varying degrees of green looked back at him. “We will keep looking. She will regret refusing to join me,” He took flight, flying out of the broken skylight, the others following.

 

 

Chris and Sheriff Noah Stilinski watched the backhoe dig into the grave.

“Thanks for doing this,”

“When you told me what happened at Derek’s and his claim of seeing your sister, I had to see for myself, too,”

“What excuse did you use?”

“I received a tip that Kate may have been murdered by another accomplice to the arson and that they made it look like an animal attack,”

“It’s a bit scary how good you are getting at this in such a short time,”

“I’m still completely confused by all of this, to be completely honest,” Chris chuckled.

“You don’t show it,” He glanced over his shoulder. “Is there a reason Stiles and Lydia are hiding behind a statue?”

“No telling. Stiles was probably eavesdropping again. Scott with him?”

“I just saw those two. How is Stiles doing, by the way?”

“He’s mostly back to normal. His friends, Melissa and Dr. Deaton have really been helping him get there,”

“I never apologized for contemplating killing him,”

“You were only doing what you thought was right. But that would be appreciated,”

“I wouldn’t have shot him. Allison took the firing pin out of the gun,”

“Smart girl,”

“In our family, the women are the leaders. They make all the hard decisions,” Chris sighed. “At least they did,”

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose everything,”

“You nearly did,” The backhoe hit the casket.

“Bring it up!” Slowly the casket was lifted up and set back down on the ground and Stilinski and Chris approached it. “Are you sure about this, Chris?” The former Hunter nodded. “Open it,” Jordan Parrish and another deputy opened the casket.

“What the hell?” Parrish exclaimed. “Sheriff, you need to see this,” Chris and Stilinski exchanged looks before approaching the casket. There was a body in the casket, but it wasn’t Kate.

“Ah, crap,” Stilinski muttered. “Who the hell is that?” Inside was the body of a young blond haired woman that looked nothing like Kate. “Parrish, call in the EMTs. We’ll need dental records to identify her,”

“Right away,” Deputy Parrish knew that Beacon Hills wasn’t a normal town. He hadn’t cared either or asked questions and had even faced off with a couple of the Oni to protect his Sheriff as if that were a normal day at work.

“She had to have put her in there the night before the funeral,”

“Will you hunt your own sister?”

“If I have to, I will. If Kate decides to go after Scott and Derek, I may have no choice,” Stilinski looked amused.

“Peter’s on his own, I take it?”

“I haven’t decided yet. This is his doing after all,”

“It is?”

“A deep enough scratch from an Alpha will do the trick,”

“So Peter was an Alpha? I thought it was Derek,”

“Peter bit Scott and turned him into a werewolf. Derek killed Peter and became the Alpha. Somehow Peter used a Banshee to resurrect himself. From what I understand Derek sacrificed his Alpha status and Scott became the Alpha though his moral character. Deaton told me it only happens once every hundred years and is very rare,”

“How do you guys keep all this straight?” Chris gave a small laugh and a half smile.

“I wonder that myself sometimes,”

 

 

Derek didn’t have the slightest idea why Peter wanted to meet him in downtown Beacon Hills. He had an apartment there, but Peter had asked to meet in one of the sidewalk cafes. He walked briskly, his hands in the pockets of his black leather jacket. A woman suddenly stood and stepped into his path, bumping into him. His supernatural reflexes kept her from falling.

“Oh, my God!” she cried. “I’m so sorry,” Derek then saw who it was.

“Isabel?” Isabel smiled.

“Hi, Derek,” He returned the smile. “Wasn’t expecting to literally run into you here,”

“Neither was I,”

“What are you doing here? Stalking her?” Derek’s smile disappeared, knowing that voice and scent well.

“Michelle,”

“It wasn’t his fault, Michelle,” Isabel said. “I ran into him. Besides I doubt he knew I was here,”

“I’m sure he didn’t,”

“Glad to see you still loathe me,”

“Actually surprised they didn’t lock your ass up after all those murders,”

“Because I was innocent. I wasn’t involved,”

“Sure, just like you weren’t involved with Paige’s death,” Derek didn’t respond. Even after all those years, the mention of Paige still caused a pang of hurt and guilt.

“Nice to see you again, Isabel,” He turned and started to walk away. Isabel opened her mouth to say something but Michelle took her arm and led her away.

“Why did you have to say that to him?” Derek stopped and turned to watch them walk away. “Haven’t you stopped to think her death hurt him too?”

“I can see he’s heartbroken,” Michelle’s voice was full of sarcasm. Isabel looked over her shoulder at him and saw he was watching. She gave him a reassuring smile before she looked ahead again. Derek turned and went to meet Peter.

“New girlfriend?” Peter asked when he sat down.

“What do you want, Peter?”

“Do you have any idea why Talia would want to keep the fact that you have a cousin from the two of us?”

“What the hell are you going on about now?”

“Did you know?”

“You wanted to meet me in a café to ask me if I knew you were a father? You have got to be kidding me. Who’d want to have a child with you anyway?”

“You’re hilarious,”

“That’s why you wanted my mother’s claws, wasn’t it? To find out what memories she had taken,”

“I knew she took away a memory. I just wanted to know what that memory was,”

“Why would she take away that memory?”

“I don’t know. I was actually hoping you would,”

“How the hell would I know?”

“You knew where her claws were hidden,”

“Doesn’t mean I know what she did. May I remind you that Laura was the one who became Alpha after she died. And then you lured her back home and killed her,”

“I told you—,”

“Don’t give me that bull about you didn’t know what you were doing. We both know you and your psychotic nurse used the spiral on the deer to lure her here so you could kill her and become the Alpha so you could kill everyone involved in the fire. Congratulations, between you and Jennifer, or Julia, whatever her name was, you succeeded,”

“You did stop me from killing that chemistry teacher. Wasn’t my fault that Jennifer decided to use him as one of her sacrifices,”

“We’re done here,” Derek stood.

“Oh come on, Derek,”

“She was probably protecting them from your psychotic ass,” Derek walked away.

“That hurts, nephew,” Peter called after him. “That really does,”

 

 

Isabel had been appalled at what Michelle had said to Derek. All day at work, she thought about finding out where he lived so she could apologize to him. But would that only make things worse? What if Michelle had ruined any chance of at least a friendship? Scott was always asking Dr. Deaton for advice and what she overheard him telling his clients, he was a wise man that gave sound advice. Michelle had told her the Deatons were one of the few families that went back generations in Beacon Hills. It wouldn’t have surprised her if his family had been one of the original families, like the Hales had been.

“Thanks for the help today, Isabel,” Dr. Deaton said in his usual upbeat way.

“Doc? Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,”

“I ran into Derek the other day and my roommate said some hurtful things to him. I don’t know if I should apologize to him on her behalf. I would like to be friends with him and I don’t want her loathing of him to ruin it,” Dr. Deaton smiled.

“Derek hasn’t had a very easy life. He doesn’t trust easily either. He’s an angry young man, to be honest, but with what life has thrown him, I really can’t blame him,”

“I guess losing a girlfriend to a wild animal attack and then your family to a fire would make anyone angry,”

“Indeed. Perhaps next time you see him, you should talk to him. Just to let him know you don’t share Michelle’s views,”

“I can’t share her views. I barely know him,”

“But you would like to,” Isabel nodded.

“Yes, I would. Thanks, Doc. Goodnight,” Isabel left and Deaton locked the door.

“I take it you heard all that?” Derek’s reflection appeared in the glass door.

“Yeah. You shouldn’t encourage her. You know everyone who gets close to me gets hurt or killed,”

“You still blame yourself for Erica and Boyd, don’t you?”

“Erica was my responsibility and my Beta. I should have protected her. And it was my claws that killed Boyd,”

“But not on your own accord,”

“I don’t want her to get hurt because of me,”

“I know you’re not here to talk about Isabel,” Deaton shut the light off and motioned for Derek to follow him to the back.

“Peter told me that my mother stole a memory from him. He somehow discovered from her claws that he’s a father and that his sister took away that memory. Is it true? Or is it just another one of his games?”

“It is true, Derek. Peter is a father. Although I only became aware of it recently,”

“Why recently? I thought my mother went to you for everything,”

“Not in this. She didn’t share everything with me, as her friend or as her Emissary,” Derek waited. He had become far too used to the way Deaton explained things. “Talia never told me about Peter’s child or her mother. It was Lydia and Allison who came to me about it,”

“Lydia and Allison?” Derek asked, surprised. “How did they know about Peter’s child?”

“When you allowed Peter to have his sister’s claws, his intent was to discover the memory Talia took from him. And he knew only one person that could help him,”

“Lydia,”

“Precisely. You remember when Stiles started sleepwalking?”

“Yes. Lydia was positive that he was in the basement of Eichen House. He turned out to be in Malia’s coyote den,” Deaton nodded.

“She doubted her abilities after that. Peter used that to his advantage. By saying he could help her in exchange for her listening to Talia’s claws. She found what Peter wanted but didn’t give him details,”

“But she gave you the details,”

“She did. But she was only able to glean his daughter. Nothing about her mother,”

“He has a daughter?”

“She’s close to Scott’s age right now,” Derek thought a moment, wondering if she even knew who she was. Malia suddenly came to mind. The werecoyote had transformed on a full moon, killing her mother and sister, and had stayed in full coyote form for eight years until Scott’s Alpha roar forced her back into human form. A talent that seemed to run in the Hale family. Now that he thought of it, she had the Hale features.

“Malia Tate,”

“She actually looks a lot like Talia when she was her age,”

“If Peter finds out who…?”

“I don’t know if he’ll try to convince her he’s her real father or not. Mr. Tate and Malia have been through so much. To have Peter show up claiming paternity will be too much on both of them. Even if Mr. Tate is only her adoptive father,”

“I’ll find out what he knows. And I may need Scott’s help,”

 

 

“Why do I feel like such a creeper here?” Michelle shouted over the music. One of the high schoolers, a senior, was throwing a party at an abandoned warehouse.

“We’re not the oldest ones here,” Isabel shouted back. While it looked like the entire high school population was there, so were several adults. Isabel took a drink of her beer, as she leaned back against the bar.

“See anything you like?”

“Not yet,” Scott had invited her to come along in a gesture of friendship and she had agreed. Michelle naturally tagged along. Isabel was sure she was just here for Derek intervention. She caught sight of Scott and his girlfriend dancing. Scott was slightly taller than Kira. He had dark hair and a dark complexion, beautiful brown eyes and a small scar on his cheek. She could see part of the tattoo on his left arm, a band that went around his bicep. Kira was Japanese, with long black hair, dark eyes and a smile the brightened her features. Isabel thought they were cute together. Isabel continued to scan the room. To her surprise, she saw Derek standing at the far side of the room. He seemed to be looking for someone. He was wearing a tight grey shirt that accented his fit form and a black leather jacket over it. His face looked serious, a week’s worth of dark beard covering his jaw and cheeks. Scott had said that he didn’t smile much. Isabel was told he had gotten his dark hair and complexion from his mother. Michelle had even commented that he looked like her even.

“I’m going to dance,” Michelle was flirting with the bartender as she merged into the crowd, dancing her way towards Derek. He must have found who he was looking for because he, too, started moving through the crowd of dancers. “I didn’t think you were the party type,” she shouted when she reached him.

“Not usually,” He glanced around.

“She’s flirting with the bartender. She doesn’t even know you’re here,”

“I guess I don’t have to worry about being accused of murder at the moment,” he said with a smile. “I actually wasn’t expecting to see you here,”

“Scott invited me to come,”

“Of course he did. He has a way with making friends,” Isabel laughed and touched his left arm. Derek looked at her hand and she realized too late that he might not like being touched. But he didn’t move away and she moved her hand down his arm.

“Would you like to dance?” Derek chuckled. “At least one,”

“Alright,” He took her hand and they, mostly Isabel, danced to the Pitbull song that was playing. Derek hadn’t expected to meet Isabel here. But, if but for a moment, he was glad Michelle wasn’t at her side at this meeting. She was wearing a dark blue halter top, blue jeans and black heels. When she spun around he saw matching wings tattooed on her back. “Nice tattoos,” he said.

“Thanks,” Isabel turned back around and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oh, crap. Here comes the intervention,”

“Thanks for the warning,” He started to slip away. “I’ll see you around,” He disappeared into the crowd.

“Was that Derek?” Michelle asked.

“Where?”

“That you were just dancing with,”

“You think Derek is the only hot guy around here that wears a leather jacket?”

“I told you to stay away from him,”

“You are _not_ my mother,”

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt or killed,” Isabel gave her a look. She suddenly felt something scratch her arm. She turned to see an ex-boyfriend standing right behind her and her breath caught and her heart nearly stopped. He pulled her close and away from Michelle while his friend took her arm and started dancing with her.

“Let go, Romero,” She was surprised at how steady her voice was.

“Is that how you greet a friend?”

“That’s how I greet an ex that betrayed me. Now let go,”

“You should have known I’d find you,” He leaned close to her ear and she winced as he dug his nails into her arm. “It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out you’d come here. To Supernatural Grand Central Station,” Romero pulled her towards the exit.

“I said let go!” Derek was suddenly blocking the path as if he’d just appeared out of thin air.

“She obviously doesn’t want to go with you,”

“This doesn’t concern you. Now back off,”

“It does concern me,” Isabel was surprised at how calm and collected Derek was. Romero was slightly bigger than Derek. Romero looked at Isabel.

“This your new boyfriend?”

“Yes! Yes, he is,” She hoped the answer hadn’t been too quick. Or her heart had the uptick that would out the lie. She knew Romero could hear her heartbeat.

“Perhaps you should try running off with someone else’s girlfriend,” She was grateful that Derek went along with the lie. Romero growled and Isabel was suddenly afraid that he was going to hurt Derek. He suddenly let go and backed off. Derek immediately wrapped an arm protectively around Isabel and moved away, completing the ruse.

“This isn’t over,” Romero stormed out.

“Thanks for going along with that,”

“Ex-boyfriend?”

“More like a huge freaking mistake,”

“Everything alright?” Scott asked, obviously having seen the exchange.

“It is now. Thanks to Derek,” Michelle joined them.

“What a freaking creep,” she said. “Who was that guy?”

“An ex that looks like he followed me here,”

“Do you want me to walk you out to your car?” Derek asked.

“I’d feel a little bit safer,” For once, Michelle didn’t protest.

“Maybe follow us to make sure that loser doesn’t follow us home,” Derek made a quick glance at her, then Scott. The teen gave a quick nod.

“Alright,”

 

 

Derek could hear the fear in Isabel’s heartbeat. She was truly afraid of Romero. But Derek knew something more. He knew Romero was a werewolf, he could both smell and sense it. He wondered if that was the reason she’d been afraid of him.

“I’ll be following in a silver Cruiser,” He said when they reached Isabel’s Mustang. Her eyes suddenly widened.

“Derek! Look out!” Derek turned just in time to be punched in the jaw by Romero, the force breaking it. He immediately set it back in place and the healing process took over, instantly mending the break.

“Get out of here!” Derek tackled Romero as Isabel started the Mustang and peeled out of the parking lot.

“No one leaves me, Derek. Especially not for the likes of you,” He threw Derek into the side of the building. His eyes flashed bright blue and he roared. Romero laughed and let himself transform, his eyes glowing bright red. Derek instantly knew he would be no match for Isabel’s ex. Romero was an Alpha. He roared, forcing Derek down. “Especially not for a Beta,” He stepped closer. “Or is it Omega now that your pack is dead,” Derek growled, drawing on the anger that Peter had taught him to use for control and he’d held onto since the day his family died that gave him added strength. He allowed the wolf to take over and attacked. Romero tossed him aside like a ragdoll, leaving four gashes across the left side of his chest. “The lone wolf isn’t as strong as an Alpha,” He kicked him hard, sending him into a car, the force leaving a dent. As Derek managed to rise as far as his hands and knees, the Alpha raked his claws down Derek’s back and the Beta werewolf cried out in pain, collapsing again. Suddenly Romero tensed.

“He’s not alone,” Scott growled, tossing the outsider to the side.

“I’m an Alpha!” Scott’s eyes glowed bright red.

“And I’m a True Alpha,” The two went at it, snarling. Pain shot through Derek’s back when he tried to sit up. Stiles, having naturally followed Scott outside, knelt next to him, helping him into a sitting position as Derek returned to his human form.

“Dude, you really need to learn not to challenge an Alpha,” he said.

“Thanks for the news flash. I sometimes forget I’m not one anymore,” Sarcasm rolled out of Derek’s mouth, despite the pain. A language Stiles knew well.

“Yep, you’ll be fine,” A flash bang suddenly went off.

“Get Scott back into the building!” The two Alphas staggered away from one another. A second flash bang went off, this time both Scott and Derek covered their eyes. Romero didn’t. Scott retreated back to Derek and Stiles. Derek peaked through the window of the car he was next to and saw the Calaveras. “It’s the Hunters after La Loba. They know about me. I don’t want them to go after you,”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine,” Another flash bang. “Go!” Stiles took off with a partially blind Scott in tow. Derek leaned against the car. He knew the Hunters would find him there but he was too weak to try to run. The unfortunate side effect of a Beta vs. Alpha fight. Judging by his overall strength, the Alpha had a good sized pack behind him. All Derek had was Peter and Scott. Romero roared and then Derek heard the crackle of electricity. A howl sounded next followed by four quick gunshots. Then silence. Derek placed his right hand over the wounds on his chest as he heard the footsteps coming towards him. He was healing much too slowly.

“You look like you got the worst end of the fight,” Araya said.

“Considering I no longer hear his heartbeat, I would say he did,” Derek winced. “Planning on killing me too?”

“I am willing to risk Christophe’s wrath with one wolf, not two. And especially not with one he threatened me over. I will spare you tonight, lobito,” He gave her a puzzled look. He never thought Chris would threaten another Hunter. Not over a wolf anyway. Araya crouched next to Derek and grabbed his chin. “But if you do not give me La Loba, I may have to risk it,” She released him. “She is all I want,” Derek leaned his head against the car as she left. A moment later, Severio stuck his cattle prod to his side. Derek screamed and fell to his side, the electric currents going through his body.

“You’re lucky that is all you’re getting, lobo,” The second stun combined with the pain from Romero’s claws caused him to lose consciousness.


	3. Healer

Michelle and Isabel rushed into the house. Isabel was shaking and Michelle quickly locked the door. Isabel looked like she was near panic.

“Oh, God. He’s going to kill him! Romero is going to kill Derek!”

“Can you explain to me who the hell that was?”

“I told you I lived in one place for two months, right?”

“Yeah,”

“It was when I lived in Arizona. I met him at a conference there and we hit it off pretty quickly. He was a perfect gentleman at first,”

“Then he showed his true colors,”

“Yes. He had one hell of a temper. When I broke it off with him, he put me in the hospital. After that, I ran. He must have finally tracked me down here,”

“Did you have the Mustang when you were living in Arizona?”

“No, I had a Land Rover,”

“Then how did he know you were going to be at that party,”

“I don’t know. He’s bigger than Derek. And he thinks we’re together. Oh, God,”

“Derek stepped in to drive him off, didn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Isabel fumbled for her phone.

“Are you going to call the cops?”

“I gotta call Scott,” Isabel had seen the two exchange looks. And Scott was the best friend of the sheriff’s son. She dropped her phone twice before she found her contacts. She started to scroll looking for Scott’s number when a contact caught her eye. She tapped it and waited as it rang.

_You’ve reached Derek Hale. Leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can._

“Call me back as soon as you get this. Please. I need to know you’re alright,” She hung up.

“You have Derek’s number?” Michelle’s voice held surprise.

“I didn’t know I had it until now,” Michelle sat down next to Isabel.

“Isabel, calm down. I’m sure Derek’s been in tougher fights,”

“How do you know?”

“I heard that someone tried to kill him last year. He survived that fight. Romero isn’t that much bigger than Derek really,”

“What changed your mind about Derek?”

“What do you mean?”

“You asked him to follow us home,”

“Did you see Romero’s friend? He really creeped me out,” Isabel’s eyes widened.

“Oh, God! Did he bring the whole pack with him!?”

“I don’t know but judging by this reaction, I sure as hell hope not,” Isabel dialed Derek again and reached his voicemail again. She didn’t leave a message this time.

“Why isn’t he answering?” Scenarios went through her head of the different ways that Romero could kill Derek.

“Isabel,” Michelle took Isabel’s shaking hands.

“Don’t! Don’t tell me that I’d be better off without him! Don’t use his relationship with Paige as an excuse to hate him! He’s took on a…,” She nearly slipped, revealing what Romero really was. “A dangerous man for us! His temper makes him stronger!” Isabel was on the verge of tears as she called Derek again. She knew an angry werewolf was a strong werewolf. And Romero was beyond pissed. “Come on. Please pick up,” she whispered. Voicemail again. Again she didn’t leave a message. Michelle suddenly took Isabel’s arm.

“What happened to your arm?”

“What?” She looked down to see blood on her arm. The arm that Romero had scratched and then dug his claws into. She stood and went to the kitchen, cleaning her arm off. There was no sign that the werewolf had even broke the skin now. She dialed again. “I’m really freaking out now and I’m worried. Please, call me. Let me know everything is okay. I’m not going to be able to forgive myself if something bad happens to you. Just… please, just call me,” Michelle was standing in the doorway. “I… I don’t know where the blood was from,” Isabel lied. She didn’t know how to explain that she had a healing ability to her roommate.

 

Sheriff Stilinski arrived at the site of the party. The parking lot was partially empty by now. Deputy Parrish approached him.

“What do we have?”

“Hispanic male. Late twenties, early thirties. Four shots close range to the chest. But there is something you need to see,”

“Why do I feel like it’s not going to be something I’m not going to want to?”

“It’s his blood. It’s black,”

“What? Please tell me you’re kidding,”

“Wish I was,”

“Ah, crap,”

“Yeah,” Stilinski crouched next to the body and pulled the sheet up. Sure enough, where he’d been shot, the blood was black. He had a feeling that the victim was a werewolf. He’d have to ask Chris about it later. “Sheriff,” Stilinski looked up and Parrish nodded behind him. He turned to see Stiles leaning against his steel blue Jeep Wrangler.

“I’ll be right back,” The Sheriff approached his son.

“Hey, Dad,” Stiles said as if they weren’t at a crime scene. Stiles had been involved in the secret world of Beacon Hills ever since Scott was bitten. Stiles was the only person he’d told before secrecy became a necessity for survival.

“Come here,” Stiles followed his father to a place where they wouldn’t be overheard. “Either you were eavesdropping again, or you and Scott were involved in this,”

“Actually it was more Derek, Scott and the guy under the sheet,” Stilinski rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Are you going to make me ask?”

“He was an Alpha. I think he was after Isabel,”

“Who’s Isabel?”

“Dr. Deaton’s receptionist. She’s only been in town for about a month, I think. Scott invited her here. As friends. This guy shows up and tries to drag her outside. I think Derek was here looking for Scott. He’s really not a party person,”

“Where’s Derek and Scott?”

“Scott’s, I think. If they’re not there, they’ll be at the animal clinic. That Alpha pretty much handed Derek his ass on a silver platter,”

“I know Scott or Derek didn’t shoot him,”

“Nope, that would be some Hunters after someone called La Loba,”

“Who the hell is La Loba?” Stiles shrugged as if werewolves being shot to death outside of parties was a normal occurrence.

“I don’t know. Maybe Chris Argent would know?”

“Get out of here,” Stilinski returned to the crime scene as the EMT was loading the werewolf’s body into the back of the ambulance. “Parrish, you and two others find out if there were any witnesses to what happened,”

“Yes, sir,” Stilinski pulled out his phone and dialed Chris.

“ _Sheriff?_ ”

“Can you meet me at the hospital morgue? There’s something I would like your professional opinion on,”

“ _As a Hunter or as a firearms consultant?_ ”

“The former. I’ll fill you in when you get there,”

“ _On my way_ ,”

 

“What the hell happened?” Melissa McCall was standing in her living room with her son and Kira. She had just walked into the door after her shift at the hospital. She was wearing pale green scrubs and her dark curly hair was in a messy up-do. “Why is he on my couch?” She hadn’t expected to come home to see an unconscious Derek lying on a sheet on their couch. His bloody and tattered shirt and jacket were laying on the floor, having been removed by Scott. She was glad he’d had enough sense to cover the couch first. Alpha or not, he would have been the one cleaning the blood up.

“I didn’t know where else to take him, Mom,”

“Don’t you usually take injured werewolves to the vet,” Kira snorted a laugh. Scott glanced at her.

“Sorry,”

“I left Doc a message. He faced off with an Alpha,” Melissa glanced at Scott.

“Not one of the ones from the hospital, I hope,” She really hoped that pack of wild wolves weren’t back in town. Although she really didn’t mind the Twins, especially Ethan. She actually missed seeing the two.

“No, different one. I think he was after Isabel but Derek distracted him long enough so she and her roommate could get away,”

“He did all of this? I thought werewolves had an ability to heal instantly,”

“It heals slower when it’s an Alpha doing the damage,” Melissa sighed.

“I’ll see what I can do to help the healing process. Go and see if you can get ahold of Alan again,” Melissa pulled out the first aid kit she kept at the house and started to clean the wounds. Four gashes marred his chest and five more traveled down his back. “If this amazing physique of yours isn’t a werewolf thing, you keep yourself in shape,” she muttered, admiring the view as she worked. After cleaning what she could, she grabbed her phone and dialed Stilinski.

“ _Stilinski,_ ”

“Where are you right now?”

“ _Hospital morgue. Why?_ ”

“I’m hoping it’s whoever attacked Derek,”

“ _It is. Is he getting worst?_ ”

“I don’t know yet. He’s not healing,”

“ _Stiles thinks he was hit with a cattle prod from the Hunters that showed up,_ ”

“I sure as hell hope they don’t show up here,”

“ _I don’t think it was Derek they were after. Chris says they wouldn’t have left him. They would have taken him with them_ ,”

“Why?” Chris’ voice came on the line.

“ _The Calaveras are looking for a she wolf they call La Loba and they think that Derek knows where she is. If they had gone there looking for him, they wouldn’t have left him where the pack could find him,_ ”

“Guys, I have a half dead werewolf on my couch right now,”

“You have a what?” Melissa turned around to see Rafe McCall standing behind her.

“Uh, I’ll call you back,” She hung up as Rafe started to go into the living room. “Rafe, don’t,” The FBI agent saw Derek on the couch.

“What the hell?” He immediately knelt next to him and felt for a pulse. “He needs an ambulance,” He started to pull out his phone. Melissa placed her hand over his.

“No he doesn’t,”

“He’ll die if we don’t get him to the hospital,”

“He might die if we do,”

“You told whoever you were talking to that he was half dead. And you called him a werewolf. There’s no such things as werewolves,” Scott suddenly appeared in the living room. Melissa was sure he’d heard her increased heart rate. Or his father’s slightly raised voice.

“Dad! What are you doing here!?”

“Right now, I’d like an explanation about why he’s not in a hospital,” Stiles chose that moment to burst through the front door.

“Scott! My dad’s…,” he trailed off when he saw the confrontation going on in the living room. “Oh, crap,”

“Oh, crap is right. Is your dad aware that Melissa has an animal attack victim on her couch?”

“Depends on how you define animal attack,” Rafe pointed at Derek.

“How about bleeding to death from claw marks?”

“Actually he probably stopped bleeding on the way here. Right now it just looks like he has something a good night’s sleep and some milk of magnesia wouldn’t take care of,”

“Stilinski!”

“Don’t you come in here screaming at everyone like you belong here!” Scott yelled. “You don’t know half of what is going on here! You don’t know anything!” Kira, having followed Scott downstairs, was standing in the background watching the whole thing. Melissa noticed he was starting to lose control again, his claws slowly beginning to extend. She took his shoulders and turned him away from his father just as his eyes began to glow.

“Calm down. Anchor, sweetheart,” Scott’s claws retracted and his eyes returned to his normal brown.

“Don’t coddle him, Melissa. If he wants to have a swing at me, let him,”

“Trust me, he takes a swing at you, _you’ll_ be the one in need of an ambulance,” Scott turned back around.

“Look, Dad, you want an explanation? Leave him where he is. Someone just tried to kill Derek. Again,”

“Again? Then why the hell is he here and not at a hospital. And why did your mother call him a werewolf?” Scott looked at his mother.

“He overheard me talking to Noah,”

“You want the truth?”

“Oh, boy,” Stiles muttered.

“Yes, I do,”

“He _is_ a werewolf,” Rafe gave him a look.

“I’m not buying that,”

“So am I,”

“Really, Melissa? How many Wolfman movies have you let him watch?”

“You’re going to have to show him, Scott,” Stiles said, reluctantly. Scott sighed and flicked his claws out. He then looked at his father with glowing red eyes.

“What the…,”

“He’s reacting better than I did,”

“He won’t in a minute,” Scott completed the transformation and Rafe backed completely against the wall.

“What the hell are you?” Scott went back to his human form.

“Were you not listening? A werewolf. Specifically, the Alpha. Derek is my Beta. Another Alpha, an outsider, just tried to kill him for protecting someone. I jumped in to protect him,” He lifted his shirt to show off his own wound, four slashes across his side, which were mostly healed. “Werewolf hunters killed him and then attacked Derek. Which is why he’s here and not at the hospital. For protection. He’ll heal, but he just needs time to do so,”

“There’s a reason it’s called Beacon Hills,” Stiles said. “Our pack,” He motioned to himself, Scott and Kira. “Protects the town,”

“You’re a werewolf too?”

“Nope, I’m just the mascot,” Kira giggled.

“Is she?”

“Thunder kitsune,” she answered. “The blackout was partially my fault…,”

“Partially?”

“Barrow tried to electrocute her. She defended herself and drew too much energy,”

“Okay,” Rafe looked like he was about to go into shock. “I need… to go… let this sink in,” He disappeared upstairs. A phone started ringing.

“That is the sixth time Derek’s phone has gone off,” Stiles looked at the number.

“Whoever it is, they’re not in his contacts. Wow, three voicemails and a text. Sour wolf is popular tonight,” Melissa gave him an odd look.

“Sour wolf?” she asked.

“It’s Stiles’ nickname for Derek. Came about after the incident at the school,”

“The one where you said he was behind a rash of murders and he was the subject of a statewide search,”

“Yeah. That one,” Kira raised her brow. “What? We thought Peter had killed him at the time. I panicked,”

“The three of you, find someplace to crash. I need to call Noah back and then make sure your father isn’t in a fetal position in the corner,”

 

Derek was slowly healing. He was still out cold when Rafe left the next morning, making a point not to look in the werewolf’s direction. Stiles left with his father when the Sheriff came to check on Derek and to see if Scott knew where Isabel lived. Chris was looking for the Hunters that attacked Romero and Derek. Melissa checked on Derek and saw that his wounds had mostly healed overnight. She reached over to feel where the claw marks on his chest were barely visible. The moment she touched him, Derek’s hand came up and grabbed her wrist, causing her to yelp with surprise. He opened his eyes, which were glowing a bright blue, and saw who had touched him. He immediately let go and suppressed the wolf.

“Sorry,”

“Didn’t mean to startle you. Thought you were still out,”

“How long? How bad was it?”

“All night. It was pretty bad but rest triggered your healing process. Are you okay?” Derek sat up and looked down at his bare chest. As he looked down the slashes disappeared, the healing complete.

“I am now. Where’s Scott?”

“Upstairs. I’ll get him,” Melissa picked up his phone from the coffee table. “You might want to check all these messages. Someone has been trying to get a hold of you all night,” He took the phone.

“Thanks for letting me crash on your couch,” Melissa chuckled.

“You’re part of the pack, aren’t you? Scott said you helped him a lot when he was first bitten. You still are. Letting you crash on my couch is the least I can do,” Derek gave a half smile and Melissa stood and turned away. “If you want coffee, I just brewed a pot,” Derek chuckled and looked down at his phone. He had fourteen missed calls from the same number and a missed call from Peter. He didn’t recognize the unknown number. He saw that he had five voicemails. He dialed his voicemail and listened.

 _Call me back as soon as you get this. Please. I need to know you’re alright._ Isabel’s voice sounded worried. Derek had forgotten that he’d programmed his number into her phone the last time he was at the clinic.

I _’m really freaking out now and I’m worried. Please, call me. Let me know everything is okay. I’m not going to be able to forgive myself if something bad happens to you. Just… please, just call me._ Her voice betrayed her worry.

 _Derek, I know I’m sounding stalkerish right now, but I’m terrified that you’ll not get any of these messages. Please, call me or text me and let me know everything is okay._ The next message was from Peter.

 _Are you screening your calls? Give me a call. I know you talked to the Emissary. I want to know what he said about Talia stealing the memory of my daughter. Call me back._ So Peter knew he had a daughter. Derek really didn’t want to deal with Peter at that moment.

 _Please call me back. I just talked to the sheriff and he just told me that Romero is dead. I asked about you and he said he didn’t have any news. I am really freaking out right now. Please tell me he didn’t kill you like I’m afraid he did. Please, Derek. I’m worried sick._ Derek then checked his text messages.

_Call me ~ Isabel_

_Please call me when you get this._

 

Derek knew if he didn’t call Isabel she would probably start sending out search parties for him. The thought made him smile to himself. He dialed her number.

“ _Derek?_ ”

“I’m okay,”

“ _Oh thank God!_ ” The relief was evident in her voice. “ _Where have you been?_ ”

“I’m at a friend’s now. I heard about what happened to Romero. He definitely kicked my ass, but the important thing is you’re okay,”

" _The Sheriff said he was shot four times,_ ”

“I don’t know. Maybe the cops showed up and he went after them. I don’t know the details either,”

“ _Thanks for calling me back. I was worried sick that something bad had happened,_ ”

“I couldn’t tell by the fourteen missed calls, four voicemails and two text messages,” Isabel laughed.

“ _Sorry,_ ”

“You both made it home okay?”

“ _Yeah. We’re fine. No one has ever done anything like that for me. No one has ever risked their life for me,_ ” Derek caught Scott’s scent drawing closer.

“I’ll call you later, Isabel, alright,”

“ _Yeah. I think I can sleep now that I know you’re alive. Bye,_ ”

“Bye,” Derek hung up and looked up to see Scott.

“Glad to see you’re healed up,” He handed Derek one of his own shirts. He stood and pulled it over his head.

“Yeah. I was actually looking for you at that party. I need your help,”

 

 

“Peter has a daughter?” Stiles asked.

“Yeah. Apparently, one of the advantages of being an Alpha is the ability to take away memories,” Scott explained.

“Who took it?”

“Talia,”

“Why would his sister take away the memory?”

“Do you really have to ask that?”

“Good point. Does Derek know who? Does Peter?”

“I don’t…,” Scott trailed off. “That’s the name he wanted from Lydia,”

“Huh?”

“After me and Lydia went into your head to free you from Void, Peter demanded a name from Lydia. Said they had a deal,”

“How did Lydia know?”

“Maybe it’s a Banshee thing,”

“What’s a Banshee thing?” Lydia asked, Malia and Kira in tow.

“Exactly what I need to talk to you about. Privately,” Scott said. He and Lydia moved away from the group.

“What?”

“The day we went into Stiles’ head, what name did Peter want?”

“What are you…?”

“I _can_ hear your heartbeat, remember. And it just increased. I know he has a daughter. What made him think you knew who it was,” Lydia sighed.

“After we went to Eichen House looking for Stiles, I started to doubt my abilities when we didn’t find him there. Peter offered to help me get better control of them in exchange for me listening to Talia’s claws to find out what memory she took from him,”

“You knew he had a daughter,”

“I didn’t tell him right away. I figured I could play his game and I said I didn’t know if his child was a boy or girl,”

“But you knew exactly who it was,”

“I told Allison and Deaton. And I used the information to get him to help you do the claw thing that got us into Stiles’ mind,”

“You gave him the name,”

“Yes,”

“Who?” Lydia glanced past Scott. He looked behind him. Kira was looking at Stiles like he’d grown another head and Malia was laughing, no doubt Stiles having said something extremely sarcastic or corny.

“Are you sure?” Lydia nodded.

“Did Derek not know?”

“He wasn’t sure. He had a suspicion but he didn’t say who he thought she was. We have to keep Peter from her and Mr. Tate,” He looked back at Malia. “She can’t know that her father, her real father, is a wolf,”

 

The school bell rang and the students of Beacon Hills High School began to shuffle out of the building. Scott met his friends in the lobby.

“Anything new on that Alpha?”

“Derek said he was trying to drag Isabel out of the building. My dad said she identified him as somebody named Romero,”

“So she knew him?”

“They dated. He grew violent with her and she left him. After he put her in the hospital. Isabel gave a full statement to my dad. I wonder if she knew he was a wolf,”

“I don’t know. I heard her heartbeat. She was terrified of him,”

“How strong was he?” Kira suddenly asked.

“What do you mean?”

“A wolf is literally stronger with a pack, an Alpha even more so, right?”

“Yeah, the bigger the pack, the more powerful the Alpha,” Scott thought for a moment. “He had Derek down after a few minutes. He was about to kick my ass when the Hunters showed up with those damn flash bangs,”

“So you’re thinking he might have a good sized pack behind him?” Malia asked.

“It’s possible…,”

“Lydia?” Stiles stopped, noticing Lydia wasn’t walking with them. “What’s wrong?” She looked like she was listening. Then she started walking quickly, nearly running into Danny Māhealani, a lacrosse teammate and friend of Scott and Stiles. And Ethan’s ex. Danny quickly sidestepped out of her way, a confused look on his face.

“Sorry, Danny,” Stiles called as they passed him. The others followed her as she headed towards where the buses were usually parked. She walked past them and into the trees on the other side.

“Isn’t this where…,”

“Shut up, Stiles,” Scott knew he was about to mention the bus driver, Garrison Meyers, Peter had attacked and tried to force him to help kill just after he turned.

“Wait,” Scott sniffed the air.

“I smell it, too,” Malia said. Suddenly, Lydia screamed. Scott, Malia and Kira went down to their knees, covering their ears. A few moments later, Danny ran over to them.

“A little warning would be nice!” Malia cried.

“Are you guys okay?” Danny asked, as if Lydia Banshee screaming and Scott, Malia and Kira holding their ears was a normal thing. Stiles ran towards Lydia.

“Holy hell!” Danny joined them. His mouth dropped open. Before them lay the senior that had thrown the party in the warehouse. He was covered in blood and his face was frozen with a look of pure terror.

“Oh, my God!” Kira cried and turned away, burying her face into Scott’s shoulder. Stiles held his phone to his ear.

“Dad? You need to come to the school. We just found a body,”


	4. Supernatural

Isabel’s mouth dropped open.

“They killed him?” Scott nodded.

“You don’t need the details, but did Romero have friends?”

“Plenty. Wait, how did you know his name?”

“My best friend is the son of the sheriff, remember?” Stiles must have overheard his father.

“He hung out with about five other guys. They all scare me. I only saw one at the party. Do you think they went after that poor kid because of what happened to Romero?”

“The cops don’t know yet. Look, if you would like me to, I can follow you home tonight and make sure you get home safe,” Isabel smiled.

“That’s sweet of you. Are you planning on protecting me from them?”

“If I have to,”

“You’re a good kid, Scott. Your heart’s in the right place, but if they killed that boy for throwing that party, they’ll tear you apart to get to me if they think I had something to do with it,”

“Why?”

“Romero was…,” she paused, trying to think of a way to explain that Romero was a werewolf without straight out saying he was one, although she wondered if his Alpha knew he was even in Beacon Hills. “You’re familiar with the way a wolf pack works, right?” Isabel mentally facepalmed. Of all the examples she could have used, she used the wolf. Scott looked slightly amused.

“Very,” She heard the amusement in his voice.

“Romero was like the alpha. His buddies were the betas and omegas. They followed him and did whatever he wanted them to do,” Scott nodded.

“I think I understand,”

“If they do decide I was involved I would hate to see you caught in the crossfire and hurt. Or Derek again. But thanks for the offer,” She left the clinic, reaching into her purse for her keys. The last thing she wanted was to see the teenager hurt in a domestic dispute between herself and Romero’s pack. As she reached her Mustang, she caught sight of one of the pack members’ reflection in the window. She gasped and spun around.

“Hello, Isabel,”

“I didn’t have anything to do with it, Jared,”

“I don’t care. Romero went after you and was caught by Hunters,” Isabel slowly started to back away from him. “His obsession with finding you caused his death. Don’t think I don’t know about why he was here to begin with,” Jared’s claws came out and he grabbed Isabel by the throat, forcing her backwards into the wall of the clinic. She dropped her keys and purse and grabbed his wrist as he did so, feeling the pressure of his claws at the back of her neck. “I know how you are being tracked by someone else. That’s the reason he’s dead. Because of you,”

“He’s dead because he attacked a Hunter. Now let go of me,” Jared listened to Isabel’s now steady heartbeat. She wasn’t afraid of him. He was a bit disappointed.

“Give me a good reason I don’t just rip your throat out. I told him to forget about you,”

“Let. Go. Of. Me. Now,” Isabel’s voice darkened and her eyes began to glow a medium blue. Jared’s grip loosened slightly and he had a look of surprise on his face.

“So you’re not just some whimpering human pawn,”

“Unless you want to share in the same fate as Romero, you should forget about what Vincent offered you. He won’t keep his side of the bargain,”

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

“Listen to my heart. You’ll know I’m not lying,”

“Hey!” Isabel’s glow disappeared. Jared looked over his shoulder at Scott.

“Scott, don’t! Don’t get involved with this!” Jared growled but Scott didn’t show any fear.

“Let her go,” His voice took on a tone that showed he wasn’t going to back down. Jared looked back at Isabel.

“You’ve won this time,” He leaned closer to her ear, moving his hand from her throat to her jaw. “But you won’t always be protected,” Jared left a scratch on her cheek before he let her go and took off across the parking lot. Isabel slid down the wall, praying that Scott hadn’t seen that little display as the scratch healed itself. Scott was at her side a moment later.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m… I’m fine,”

“Are you sure?” She nodded.

“Thanks,”

“I’m following you home,”

“Alright,” Scott handed her the keys and purse she dropped and she climbed into her Mustang, thinking maybe he hadn’t seen what her eyes had done.

 

Scott followed Isabel home on his dirt bike. He knew the house pretty well. She was living in the house that Jackson once had. She waved as she pulled into the garage. Scott glanced over at the house Isaac had shared with his dad before Derek offered the Bite to him. Isaac’s dad had abused him for most of his life and would even lock him in a freezer as punishment, which made Isaac’s decision to become the first of Derek’s pack easy. Afterwards, his dad was murdered by a kanima at the order of a classmate who wanted revenge on the swim team that Mr. Lahey had coached after he nearly drowned in the Laheys’ swimming pool. After the garage door closed, Scott went on his way. He’d heard the commotion outside and had gone to see what was going on. Just in time to see Isabel’s eyes glow blue. They were a few shades darker than Derek’s, but Scott now had his doubts that she was even human. She didn’t feel like a wolf, but he saw the scratch the Beta left on her cheek heal as quickly as a wolf. He stopped at the curb in front of his house and pulled out his phone.

“ _Hello?_ ”

“Mr. Argent? I have a question involving the bestiary,”

“ _I’ve told you to call me Chris, but what’s your question?_ ”

“Are there any other creatures besides werewolves that have blue eyes?”

“ _Not that I’m aware of but I’ll look and see what I can find. Why are you asking?_ ”

“I’m not quite sure yet,”

“ _Alright. I’ll give you a call when I find anything,_ ”

“Thanks,” Scott sat on his bike for a little while longer, wondering if he should share his discovery with Derek before he became emotionally involved with Isabel.

 

Derek knocked on the door of the house. He knew it from the few times of visiting Isaac’s house, which was across the street. Now Michelle and Isabel were living in the former Whittemore house. Mr. Whittemore had moved his family to London after the fiasco that was the kanima incident to Derek and the others that knew the truth and a huge embarrassment to Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. Derek was able to teach Jackson how to control his wolf before the move. Despite having been a kanima for a couple months, Jackson had a remarkable grasp on control when he was finally able to become a werewolf. Derek had been a bit reluctant to accept the dinner invite from Michelle. It was no secret that she despised him for his part in Paige’s death, although she had no idea how correct she was in the blame. He turned back to the door when it opened. Isabel’s brown hair was curled and she wore a sequined black one shouldered top. She smiled.

“Thanks for coming,”

“You look beautiful,” She looked down, suddenly bashful.

“Thanks,” She took a step back. “Come on in,” Isabel led the way to the dining room. It was the first time he’d been inside the house where his bite had created a monster that left about ten people, give or take, dead before he, Scott, Isaac and, surprisingly, Lydia and Stiles were able to stop it. Although, it had been ultimately Lydia that saved Jackson. Michelle gave a wave.

“Dinner’s almost ready. Wasn’t actually expecting you to be on time,”

“Michelle!”

“What? Nobody is ever on time for dinner invites,” Derek chuckled.

“That’s one of the things my mother taught me that actually stuck. Be punctual,” Isabel giggled. Derek pulled the chair out for her.

“Ooo, a gentleman,” Once everyone was settled and the dinner of pork chops, mashed potatoes and green beans begun did Michelle start the conversation.

“I know I have been very hostile towards you since Paige died,”

“You were angry. It was understandable,”

“I shouldn’t have. Yes I was angry. So angry that I failed to notice what her death did to you,” Derek looked up at her, wondering where she was going with this. Michelle looked over at Isabel. “You should have seen him when we were teenagers. He was a lot like Scott,”

“Michelle,” Derek started. Isabel raised a brow.

“Like Scott? Scott McCall?”

“Yeah. When Paige died, I think a part of Derek died too,”

“Michelle, stop rubbing it in,” Isabel said, seeming to sense Derek’s unease at the subject. He felt her hand on his leg close to his knee, as if her contact would ease the pain.

“Sorry, I got sidetracked. I hated you and blamed you for so long that I didn’t see how much you were hurting. I really don’t blame you for becoming angry yourself between Paige and your family,”

“I still have an uncle and a sister,” Derek said. “I am grateful that I didn’t lose everyone,”

“And I’m sorry about that. When Isabel first told me about meeting you, I told her to stay away from you. I even said hurtful and hateful things to you when we ran into you at the café. But then you offered to walk us to the car when Romero and his creeper friend showed up. Even risked your life when he went after Isabel,”

“Just so you know, he did kick my ass. From what I understand, he went after the cops with a knife,”

“I’m glad you’re okay, then. And thank you. And I’m sorry. I can tell Isabel really likes you. I would like to try to be friends,” Derek looked at her, wondering what her motive was. “I really do. I’ve been such a bitch to you because of Paige. Can we try to be friends?”

“Friends sounds good,”

 

Hours later, Isabel walked outside with Derek.

“Sorry about all that. That had to be the most awkward dinner,”

“One of them,” he admitted, but didn’t offer details.

“The whole point of this was to thank you for what you did for us, not open old wounds. I’m sorry about that. I kinda wish I’d come to Beacon Hills earlier so I could have met your family and Paige,”

“Me too,” Derek opened the door to his Cruiser. “When we met, you called me Beacon Hills’ resident bad boy. Why?”

“I’d heard people talk about these murders and that you were a suspect. People thought you were involved with the murders last year. And you were a person of interest in Jennifer Blake’s disappearance,”

“And you’re not running after hearing all that?”

“I guess I’m just attracted to bad boys,” Isabel grinned. Derek gave a half smile.

“Jennifer and I dated briefly. We broke it off not long before she disappeared. Michelle is right about you getting hurt. If you stay with me, if you get involved with me, you’ll get hurt. Paige, Kate, Jennifer. The common denominator is me. I don’t want you hurt,”

“Is that what you say to all the girls?”

“Lately, yes,”

“Kate burned your family alive. I think you were the one who got hurt in that case,” Derek started to ask how she knew, then remembered all the papers had cited Kate as the one who’d set the Hale House fire and was accused of the sting of murders that had actually been Peter after they’d left Kate’s body to be found in the house.

“But she did end up dead,” he said instead. Derek climbed into the Cruiser and started it. “I don’t want that for you,” Isabel watched as he drove off.

“I don’t want you to get hurt either,” she whispered at his taillights before walking back into the house.

 

“Alright. Thanks, Chris,” Scott hung up and tossed his phone on his bed.

“What’s up?” Stiles asked, straddling Scott’s desk chair. Kira was sitting cross legged on the bed. Lydia was laying on her stomach next to her, her lower legs in the air with her ankles crossed and feet bare. Her shoes were on the floor in front of the bed. Malia was leaning against the wall closest to Stiles. “What did Chris want?”

“I had him looking up something for me in the bestiary,”

“What’s a bestiary?” Malia asked.

“An encyclopedia of mythical creatures,”

“Oh,”

“Why was he looking up something in the bestiary?” Scott hesitated. “Dude, you got mad at Derek for holding back stuff,”

“Because I’m not sure of what I saw. And I rather actually say it in front of Derek, since he’s the one that seems to be getting close to Isabel,”

“Please tell me he’s not getting close to another psycho,”

“I actually think she might be a wolf,”

“A wolf?” Lydia raised a brow.

“She can’t be a wolf. I mean you and Derek would have noticed that right away, wouldn’t you? You knew Isaac was a wolf before you knew that it was Isaac,”

“Yeah, that’s why I wasn’t sure about what I saw,”

“What _did_ you see?”

“I told her about the kid. When she spoke about how she was afraid of his friends, her heartbeat increased,”

“She was lying or was she afraid just talking about them?”

“I thought the latter at first. Until I caught one of Romero’s Betas threatening her. There was no fear, despite the fact his hand was around her throat and his claws were out. When I walked out of the clinic, her eyes were glowing blue,”

“Like this?” Malia’s eyes glowed a bright blue, a color she had because of her accidently killing her mother and little sister the night of her first shift during a full moon when she was nine. She spent the next eight years running around the woods in full coyote form until Scott’s Alpha roar turned her back to human.

“No, they were darker. That’s why I’m questioning it,”

“So you were having Chris look up to see what other creatures had blue eyes,” Kira said.

“Yeah. He couldn’t find anything,”

“Maybe she’s a weresomething,” Stiles suggested. Malia rolled her eyes.

“Could she be a Druid?” Lydia asked.

“Ms. Blake’s eyes never changed color when she used her powers,” Scott pointed out.

“Yes, they did,” Lydia countered. “The night she killed Kali and Aiden and Ethan’s merged form, her eyes turned white,” Ethan had sought out Lydia to help him stop his twin and Kali from killing Derek. Peter and Cora had managed to convince Derek to run, as by that time he was a Beta again, having sacrificed his own Alpha spark to heal Cora and he was weak from it. He was barely a match for Kali as an Alpha, they knew he had no chance as a Beta. Lydia and Ethan were waiting for the two Alphas. Jennifer Blake then showed up and killed Kali and the Twins merged in order to fight her. She easily defeated them with the power she’d been gathering from the sacrifices to the Nemeton she’d been doing. Derek turned back when he heard Lydia’s Banshee scream. The Twins somehow survived separately but lost their own Alpha sparks.

“Ms. Blake was also a Darach,” Stiles looked over at Malia. “Dark Druid,” He looked back at the others. “She got her power from killing random people with one thing in common and from a tree stump,”

“Can we stop talking about her? She almost killed your dad, my mom and Chris. Not to mention you, Isaac, Allison, me, Derek and Deucalion,”

“Kinda wished she had succeeded with Deucalion,” Stiles muttered. It was the night that Scott became Alpha. Jennifer had killed Kali, almost killed the Twins, almost convinced Derek to help her kill Deucalion in order to save Scott from his influence and summoned a storm to crush Stilinski, Melissa and Chris in a root cellar beneath the Nemeton. Deucalion had also almost convinced Scott to join him in killing her when Derek showed up with the Darach. Jennifer had used a lunar eclipse to her advantage, when the three of them became completely powerless. Derek’s quick thinking had caused her to weaken after he tricked her into healing Deucalion’s blindness, the effect of a betrayal by a Hunter that had met with him under the guise of peace. Derek then held her attention long enough for the eclipse to pass. Once she realized that her advantage had passed, she protected herself with Mountain Ash powder. Scott used pure willpower to break through, becoming the True Alpha in the process. A completely rare occurrence that Deaton had told him only happens once every hundred years.

“Earth to Scott,” Stiles said, waving his hands over his head.

“Huh?”

“Are you going to tell Derek?”

“I don’t know yet,”


	5. More Questions No Answers

Derek sat in the parking lot below his loft. He hadn’t set foot there since the Calaveras broke in and Kate nearly killed him. He was here now because he needed to be alone to think. Michelle had only succeeded in reminding him of his losses and bad decisions. Paige had been the first girl he’d ever loved. He’d let Peter talk him into having an Alpha bite her to turn her so they could be together without him worrying about her finding out his secret. His eyes went from yellow to blue because of that. Michelle had been right, part of him had died that night. He’d taken an innocent life. The only innocent life he’d ever taken. He thought he loved Kate. Right up until the day she burned his family alive. He and Laura hadn’t been home. He still wasn’t sure how Cora had escaped and Peter had been so badly burned that he was in a coma for six years, slowly healing and turning into a psychopath. Then there was Jennifer, whom he’d saved from Boyd and Cora while the two raged after having been prevented from shifting in three full moons. He’d fallen for her, only to discover later that she had been the one behind the sacrifices. She’d been the Emissary to Kali’s pack before Deucalion had her kill her pack and Emissary in order to join the Alpha Pack. Kali hadn’t finished Julia, her true name, off and she’d used the power of the Nemeton to survive long enough for someone to find her. Julia became the Darach afterwards with a vow to make the Alpha Pack pay and that the Emissaries would never be overlooked again, changing her name to Jennifer. Derek would never forget Isaac’s words after Jennifer used Derek’s feelings for her to surprise him and kidnap Scott’s mother.

 

_Because while Scott and Stiles were out there trying to stop people from being killed, you were in here rolling around the sheets with the actual killer!_

 

His Beta’s anger and words helped seal his decision to sacrifice his Alpha spark to heal his younger sister. It was the last decision he’d made as an Alpha. Perhaps the only decision he’d made as Alpha that he didn’t regret. When he was trying to save Scott from Deucalion, Jennifer had betrayed him again, nearly killing him while he was powerless and unable to shift or heal. But he couldn’t bring himself to kill her.

Now he was, once again, falling for a pretty face. Only this time, something in his heart felt like it was awakening. He hadn’t felt like this since Paige. He ignored the ringing phone, not even bothering to look at who was calling. Derek crossed his arms over the steering wheel and put his head on them. He didn’t want this to be thrown in his face again or for Isabel to be hurt by him or someone using her to harm him or Scott. A tap on the driver’s side window startled him. He actually extended his claws as he looked up. Only to see Chris with a concerned look on his face. Derek rolled the window down as he retracted his claws.

“I’ve been trying to get ahold of you. Everything okay?” Derek sighed.

“Yeah. I just needed to be by myself for a little while,”

“Understandable, but why here?” He shook his head.

“I don’t know,”

“Scott called me the other night asking me to look into something. Wanted to know if there were any other creatures with blue eyes. Do you know of any?”

“Wolves and coyotes. Why was he wanting to know?”

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t say,” Chris looked Derek over. “You look like you could use a beer. Come on, before something shows up and tries to kill you and I get caught in the crossfire,” Derek chuckled. Chris knew full well that said beer would not affect the werewolf. A couple years earlier, Chris was looking for an excuse to hunt him. Now he considered the former Hunter an ally and a friend. During the ordeal with the nogitsune, Derek nearly burned Chris alive after being possessed by a nogitsune fly, Void trying to use his anger over the fire against his friend. He’d had a gun under Derek’s chin, but didn’t pull the trigger. When he asked him later why he didn’t, Chris only said that Derek wasn’t his enemy anymore. Derek was sure it was because he had saved Chris’ life by taking shrapnel and glass in his back when a bomb went off at the sheriff’s station while they were being framed for murder. After Derek had told him he wouldn’t do something like that. He started the Cruiser and followed Chris to his apartment.

 

Scott opened his bedroom door at the knock. Rafe was standing outside.

“Two and a half weeks? It only took Mom a week of avoiding me before she accepted that I’m a werewolf,”

“I watched my son turn into a werewolf before my eyes. It was a bit of a shock,”

“You think it wasn’t a shock to Mom? What do you want?”

“I want to talk. About…,”

“What I am,”

“Well, everything in general,” Scott sighed and walked over to his bed and sat down. His father followed him. “How long have you been a… werewolf?” Rafe seemed to be having trouble referring to his son by the word.

“Two years, give or take a few months,”

“I’d like to know everything,”

“It all started the night before our sophomore year. Stiles eavesdropped on his dad all the time and he’d gotten a call that a couple of joggers found half of a body in the woods. Naturally, we went looking for the other half. Of course, we had no idea which half we were looking for. Stiles got caught by his dad and I was actually wandering around by myself. I almost got trampled by some deer and I lost my inhaler,”

“You have asthma?”

“You know I did. You were the one that kept complaining that I didn’t really need it. And, obviously, not any more. I was looking for it when I found the other half of the body. Then this huge creature attacked and bit me. I ran like hell and almost got hit by a car. I met Derek the next day when I went back with Stiles looking for the inhaler,”

“Was Derek the one who bit you?” Scott shook his head.

“No, it turned out it was actually his uncle, Peter. The body belonged to Derek’s older sister, Laura. Peter killed her so he could become the Alpha. He bit me hoping to build his pack. Derek was back in Beacon Hills looking for Laura. The werewolf hunters were using her body as bait to trap him. Derek kinda mentored me. Almost all of the werewolf stuff I know is because of him,”

“Where is Derek by the way?”

“I don’t know. Keeping low. It’s what werewolves do after being attacked. Hide and heal is what Cora calls it. They mostly do it when Hunters are after them, though,”

“So the Hales are werewolves?”

“The ones I know are,”

“Do you know the whole family?”

“There’s only three left. Laura was murdered and the rest died in a fire,”

“I didn’t know,”

“Of course you wouldn’t. You’d already left by that time,”

“Scott…,”

“What else do you want to know?” Scott really wasn’t happy about having to talk to his father about his duel nature. He’d been very content if Rafe had never found out.

“So these Hunters you mentioned? Who are they?”

“The Argents used to be. After his sister, Kate, was killed and his wife killed herself, he and his daughter stopped hunting,”

“What happened to them?”

“Why don’t you ask Chris?”

“So your friend Allison was a werewolf hunter?”

“We started dating after I was bit. We weren’t together when she died. I think she and Isaac were dating though,”

“What really happened to Allison?”

“She died,” Scott still didn’t want to talk about Allison’s death. Especially not to his father. The pain was still too fresh for him. Rafe gave him a look.

“So why do the Argents hunt werewolves? Did they hunt you?”

“Not exactly. They had a Code,”

“What code?”

“‘We hunt those that hunt us.’ They would only hunt a werewolf if they had undeniable proof that werewolf had killed a human. Kate and Gerard Argent both broke the code when they started killing werewolves at random,”

“Then why did they?”

“I don’t know,”

“So how does one become an Alpha? How did you?”

“That’s actually a long story,” Rafe spread his arms out. “It’s rare, but a Beta or Omega can become an Alpha by pure willpower or moral character. They call it a True Alpha. Derek and Peter stole their Alpha status from other Alphas. It’s the most common way to become Alpha. Peter and Derek are now Betas. Derek gave up his status to save his sister,”

“I thought his sister was murdered,”

“Laura was. Derek actually found out last year another sister survived the fire, Cora. She was dying and Derek had a pack of Alphas on his neck. It was either keep his status in order to face them with an Alpha’s strength or give it up so Cora could live,”

“How was he able to do that?”

“Wolves have an ability to take away pain and heal to an extent. Alphas are more powerful, of course. But if they take too much, they lose what makes them an Alpha. Derek willingly gave that up for his sister,”

“And how did you become this True Alpha?”

“Pure willpower and moral character,”

“Not going to tell me, huh?”

“Why should I? You think I’m making all this up anyway,” Scott had been focusing on his father’s heart the entire time.

“No I don’t,”

“Your scent and heartbeat tells me otherwise,”

“Why were you trying to get me out of the house the night I was attacked? Did you know that would happen?”

“I was trying to protect you. But you were too stupid to listen,”

“Scott!”

“The only reason you even know I’m a werewolf is because you overheard Mom talking about Derek. I had to shift in front of you because of it!”

“Has your mom known the whole time?”

“She found out when I was protecting her,” Rafe’s phone rang at that moment and he answered it. He passed by Melissa in the hall as Scott rolled his eyes.

“Enlightening conversation?” she asked leaning on the door frame.

“Yep. We talked about all the things fathers and sons talk about,” Melissa chuckled and went and sat next to him on the bed.

“I’m sure he’ll come around,” She rubbed his arm and Scott was glad they were so much closer than they had been when he was a human. “I hope he will,”

 

Stilinski lifted the bloodstained sheet to see the middle aged man with fatal wounds that matched the teenager in the woods outside the school. He couldn’t be much older than him.

“It’s starting again, isn’t it?” Rafe crouched next to the sheriff.

“What do you mean?” The FBI agent glanced around and once he was sure he wouldn’t be overheard answered.

“Every time there’s a string of murders, there is usually a supernatural suspect, isn’t there?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know you know the truth. I know it now, too. I found out the night Derek Hale was attacked,” Stilinski raised a brow, thinking this was just another ploy Rafe was using to burrow under the sheriff’s skin. Which he did a lot as it was.

“Uh huh,” Parrish joined them. “The victim have any ID?”

“ID on him says he’s Martin Williams,”

“That name sounds familiar,” Stilinski thought for a moment. Parrish handed him Williams’ wallet. Next to his driver’s license was school portrait of a teenaged girl that looked a lot like a younger version of Isabel Sullivan.

“She looks like the ex-girlfriend of the man that was murdered outside that party,” Rafe commented.

“I was thinking that, too,” Stilinski wondered if the two were related. “Get him to the ME. I’m going to go talk to Isabel,”

 

Scott shut the door to his locker.

“There was no scent, Stiles. All I could smell was us,”

“So nothing?”

“Nothing!”

“McCall,” Scott turned to Danny and immediately wondered what he overheard.

“Yeah?”

“You guys were friends with Ethan, right?”

“Define friends,” Stiles said, earning him a look from Scott.

“You guys hung out with him and Aiden a lot when they came back to school. I assumed you were friends,”

“For the most part,” Scott realized why Danny was asking. “You miss him don’t you?”

“Yeah. Have you talked to him?”

“Not for a while,”

“He really took Aiden’s death hard,”

“They were twins,” The halls were emptying of students as they left school or went to their study groups.

“Were they both werewolves?” Scott and Stiles stopped in their tracks. Stiles mouth hung open. “I’ll take that as a yes,”

“How…?”

“Why do you think it’s called Beacon Hills? This place is a literal beacon for the supernatural,”

“You’ve known all this time?” Scott asked.

“I suspected. It all made sense when I did that research paper on the telluric currents that run through Beacon Hills. They all connect to the Nemeton on the old Hale property,”

“Could you tell they were werewolves?”

“There’s a pack here,”

“Can you tell who the werewolves are?” Danny shrugged.

“You suddenly got good at lacrosse. And you stopped needing your inhaler. Isaac wasn’t so antisocial and seemed a little more confident in himself. Jackson, well, I kinda figured that out when he shot a video of himself during a full moon,”

“Did you ever watch the video?”

“No, I promised Jackson I wouldn’t. I restored the data and saved it to my tablet,” Danny then sighed. “Which someone stole out of my car,”

“You probably wouldn’t have liked what you saw,”

“Probably not. Look, guys. I know, but I’ll keep your secret. Just keep me out of all your antics,” Danny looked at Stiles when he said that.

“If you’re referring to the thing with Derek…,”

“And Derek didn’t kill you?” Scott asked, an amused look on his face.

“He did slam my head against my steering wheel,”

“You deserved that,” Danny said with a laugh. “I would have loved to see that after you used him to get me to trace that text. And after you told me that he was your cousin, Miguel,” Scott burst into laughter. “I’ll see you guys later,” Danny walked off.

“Miguel?”

“Shut up,”

 

Isabel looked up as Sheriff Stilinski walked into the clinic.

“Good afternoon, Sheriff,” she said with a smile. “How are you?”

“I’ve been better. Do you have a moment to answer some questions?”

“Of course,”

“Is there a private place we can talk?” Dr. Deaton appeared in the doorway.

“The cat room is probably the most private place we have,”

“Thanks, Doc,” Isabel and Stilinski went into the room. There weren’t many cats there at that moment. One of the cats immediately began meowing, seeking attention and rubbing against the cage. “What do you need to ask me about?”

“I need to know if you knew a Martin Williams,” Isabel shook her head.

“Not that I’m aware of. I haven’t been in Beacon Hills for very long. I really don’t know very many people here,” Stilinski showed her a photo of a teenaged girl.

“We found this photo in his wallet,” Isabel then realized why the sheriff was asking if she knew him. The girl looked a lot like Isabel.

“That’s Paige. Michelle, my roommate, showed me a picture of her. She died when she was fifteen. Animal attack,”

“That’s where I knew the name,”

“What happened to him?”

“His body was found this morning by some joggers in the Preserve. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions,”

“Anytime,” She and Stilinski left the cat room, her head spinning. First the kid that threw the party where Romero found her, now the father of a girl that looked a lot like her. It couldn’t be coincidence that she was the common denominator.

 

Peter’s visitor knocked again.

“I’m coming! Don’t get your panties in a wad,” When he opened the door, his eyes widened. “Holy sh—,” Kate kicked the door in, sending Peter backwards.

“I see you remember me,”

“Unfortunately. Some people in Beacon Hills can’t seem to stay dead,” Kate shifted.

“Oh, I have you to thank for that,” She slashed Peter’s chest. He backed up, flicking out his own claws. Kate grinned and motioned for him to come at her. Peter still wasn’t at his full strength yet and he wasn’t sure how well he could take on Kate. But he was going to defend himself. He managed a slash to her side. “Is that all you got?” In a flurry of slashes, she left gaping wounds on his back, stomach, arm and leg. She then threw him across the room.

“I’m not going to live this down,” Peter muttered as he started to drag himself across the floor. He didn’t have the power of an Alpha anymore and the closest to shifting he was able to come to was fangs, claws and his wolf eyes, the unfortunate side effect of his resurrection. Kate grabbed the back of his shirt and flipped him over on his back. She grabbed him by the throat and then slammed him into the steps leading down into the living area. Peter grimaced in pain.

“I’ve heard stories that the cure for being a werewolf is to kill the Alpha that turned you. Let’s find out how true that is,”

“Hate to break it to you, but you’re not a wolf,” Peter’s eyes glowed bright blue. “And I’m not an Alpha anymore,” Kate stopped, digging her claws into the side of his neck. Peter gasped.

“Now how does a monster like you lose his Alpha spark?”

“I died, that’s how. I was killed by another wolf. Fortunately, my Plan B worked and here I am. Just like you,” Kate growled. “Unfortunately, that means the two people that would have been cured by killing an Alpha had that hope stolen from them,” Peter then shrugged the best he could with Kate’s claws digging into him and the steps digging into his back. “Of course, that so called cure is just a story,”

“Then who’s the Alpha now?”

“Killing the current Alpha won’t help you,”

“But it’ll make me feel better,”

“Just like burning my family alive did?” Kate let go and turned away.

“Actually it did. Kept them from being a nuance in the future,” Peter started to rise. “Well, all but you, Derek and Laura. You did take care of Laura for me,” She drew a handgun and turned back towards Peter. “Just like I’m going to take care of you now,” He looked up just as she fired two shots into Peter’s chest. Peter howled in pain, the wolfsbane in the bullets immediately beginning to work, and fell. Kate grinned, turned around and walked away. Peter gritted his teeth and managed to drag himself toward the coffee table. He dialed the last call he made, praying they’d pick up.

“ _What do you want?_ ” Derek answered, shortly.

“I need… your… help,”

“ _Peter?_ ”

“I… need…,” Peter passed out before he could finish his sentence.


	6. Hunter and Hunted

“Do you think the South American Hunters found him?” Scott was riding in the passenger seat of Derek’s Cruiser. Derek had pulled up to the clinic just as Scott was getting on his bike, telling him he needed Scott’s help. Chris was supposed to meet them at Peter’s apartment.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know anything, but he sounded hurt. Bad hurt. Remember when I was hit by the Nordic Blue?”

“Yeah, you sounded like you were dying,” Derek nodded. “You think he might be dying?”

“I… I don’t know,” Aside from Cora, Peter was the only family he had left. Even if he hated him most days. He still hadn’t forgiven Peter for Laura and still blamed him for Paige’s death. The whole incident had been his brainchild. Peter had arraigned for one of the Alphas to ambush Paige at the school the night she died. Derek and Peter had been fairly close, the two had been fairly close in age. Even when they were teenagers, Derek thought he was arrogant and annoying. Not much different from now. But that night, a rift had been driven between them. Their relationship became strained and Derek began using the anger his uncle had taught him to use for control more and more as an anchor. Chris was leaning against his Explorer when they pulled up. He pushed off of it when Derek and Scott exited the Cruiser.

“I’ve been watching the area. I haven’t seen any of Araya’s people,”

“Who’s Araya?” Scott asked.

“The matriarch of the Mexican Hunters, the Calaveras. She’s a dangerous one. Her people are the ones that killed Romero and electrocuted Derek. They make sure the Code is enforced,”

“Then I really hope they’re not here,” Derek led the way to Peter’s apartment. Chris grasped Derek’s shoulder when they reached it. The door was partially open. Chris drew his gun and crab stepped forward as Derek flicked out his claws, Scott behind them. Chris pushed open the door the rest of the way. They saw Peter lying on his side in the recessed part of the living room, not moving. Derek ran forward, Chris attempting to stop him. His body was covered with scratches and two wounds to his chest were bleeding black blood and the same color blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.

“This wasn’t the Calaveras,” Scott said.

“No,” Derek agreed. “This was Kate,” Pain suddenly raked up his back and Derek cried out in surprise and pain.

“Good guess,” Kate said. Chris held his gun at her, his face betraying his shock. “Hello, big brother,”

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Getting revenge. What does it look like I’m doing?” She flicked her claws out and went for Derek again. He flipped backwards, avoiding them.

“Derek wasn’t the one who did this to you,”

“No, it was Peter. But Derek is a Hale and he was there that night,” She looked over at Scott. “Just like those adorable brown eyes over there were, too,”

“Did you not think you wouldn’t pay for the fire?” Scott asked.

“We had a Code, Kate. You broke it when you killed most of the Hales. Innocent people died,”

“They were Hales. They were guilty by association,” Derek growled, the anger flaring.

“There were human children in that house! Not everyone was a werewolf!” Kate shrugged.

“Not yet anyway,” Derek’s eyes glowed. “And we both know those beautiful blue eyes of yours was proof enough that you’d killed an innocent yourself,”

“Not enough proof to kill my family!” Derek roared and leapt at Kate.

“Derek!” Kate brought her claws around and Derek grabbed her wrist. He went down and vaulted her over him and out of the recessed area. Kate landed on her feet in a crouch and hissed. Scott leapt forward, landing in a crouch and roared at both of them. Derek felt the Alpha compulsion forcing him back. To his surprise, Kate submitted as well. Scott moved between the two. “Back off, Kate!”

“Wow, Alpha in only two years. It takes some years to become strong enough to take on an Alpha, let alone kill one,”

“Has anyone ever told you what assuming does?”

“It makes an ass of one,” Everyone turned towards the Hispanic accented voice. Araya was standing in the doorway with four of her Hunters. Derek instinctively stepped in front of Scott, not just because he was Derek’s Alpha. “La Loba,” Kate snarled.

“Wait,” Derek looked over at Kate. “This is La Loba?”

“You didn’t know, yet you led us to her? You are not that dull, Derek,”

“What the hell have you been doing?” Chris asked.

“What do you care?”

“You were my sister, Kate!”

“That thing is no longer your sister,”

“Shut up, Araya!” Derek glanced over at Peter during the exchange. He knew if they didn’t get the wolfsbane out of his system and soon, he’d die.

“Sister? Does that even matter to you, Chris?” Kate growled. “The last thing you said to me was ‘Put it down before I put you down’,”

“You had a gun on a sixteen year old boy with no proof that he’d spilled human blood,”

“Does it matter? He’s a werewolf,”

“It does matter!” Scott said. “You can’t just kill everyone because they’re werewolves!”

“Why not?”

“That is not the Code,” Araya said. “We must have proof of human blood being spilled. You, La Loba, have killed both Hunter and wolf alike,”

“Why does that not surprise me?” Derek muttered. Scott shot him the same look as he had when Derek wanted to kill Jackson and Scott wanted to save him. Kate snarled. Araya leveled her gun at her. The werejaguar leapt towards the window, crashing through it as the Hunter pulled the trigger. Derek and Scott darted forward but saw no sign of Kate.

“I had her!” Chris knelt next to Peter, turning him on his back. Derek joined him a moment later.

“He’s weak,” Derek tore open Peter’s shirt. His chest was barely rising. The skin around the bullet wounds looked like it was dying. “That doesn’t look good,”

“It’s not,” Derek pulled a Zippo lighter out of his jeans pocket. He pushed the flame against the wound.

“Christophe, a word with you?” Araya asked.

“Of all the times…,”

“Go,” Scott said, kneeling next to Peter. “Derek’s got this. Just get her off the Hales’ backs,” Derek looked up at Scott, a grateful look on his face. Chris nodded and he and Araya left. As Derek began burning out the wolfsbane, Peter’s eyes shot open, turning bright blue. He screamed in pain.

“Hold him!” Scott pressed down on Peter’s shoulders as Derek pulled the first bullet out. He placed the flame against the second wound. Peter roared this time, showing fangs and reminding Scott of the pain Derek went through when he used the ashes of the Nordic Blue to heal his own wound. One of the times Kate had tried to kill him. Peter lay on the floor panting after Derek dug out the second bullet.

“I really… I really didn’t… think you’d… come,”

“As much as I hate and don’t trust you, you’re still family,”

“Kate…,”

“Kate’s La Loba,”

“If I’d known that, I would have… gave her up before I lost a finger,” Derek and Scott moved him to the couch, Peter wincing as they did so.

“You need to shut up and let the healing process kick in. We’ll talk about this later,”

 

“Are you sure?” Scott asked.

“I really don’t trust her word but she did say she’d leave your pack alone,” Chris said.

“She enjoyed torturing us in South America a little too much, Chris,” Derek said. “Peter would be completely fingerless and we’d both be dead if Braeden hadn’t shown up,”

“Braeden?” Scott asked.

“The girl that saved Isaac from the Alpha pack when he found Erica, Boyd and Cora,”

“I thought she was dead,”

“So did I. Deucalion must have gotten word I was there and hired her to get me out,”

“She willingly worked for someone that nearly killed her?”

“What’s important is she got us both out before they pulled a Gerard or cranked that old voltage box of theirs too high. Actually, they almost did pull a Gerard before Araya stopped them. She wants Kate and if she thinks the three of us or even you, Chris, can give her to them, she’ll disregard any deal she made. The whole pack will be collateral damage,” Derek looked over at Scott. “And a True Alpha will be one hell of a prize for her,” Chris sighed.

“Derek’s right. But we have somewhat of an advantage. Araya tends to get so focused on her target that nothing else matters. We can call Isaac and Ethan and see if they’ll return. It’ll make you, Derek and Peter stronger. Maybe even Malia. I’m not sure how coyote works in a wolf pack,”

“Maybe even call Deucalion to help keep an eye on Araya,”

“I don’t think that will be a very good idea,” Scott said. “Despite us letting him go, he did destroy Derek’s pack,”

“And Jennifer destroyed his,”

“I’ll talk to Stilinski to see if he can keep an eye on her Hunters,”

“He has enough to worry about. Like my dad,”

“Is he still causing trouble?” Chris asked.

“When is he not?” Derek looked down to hide the smile. “You and Peter need to stay together. Find some place that Kate doesn’t know. Here, your loft and your house won’t work,”

“There is one place she doesn’t know about. We’ll hide and heal there,” Scott knew he was talking about the abandoned train depot where Derek had taken refuge in after Kate’s death and while he was building his pack before moving into the loft. At least trying to build it. Scott nodded.

“Go there and stay low until we figure out what Kate’s next move is,”

 

“Ah, crap,” Stilinski said. Chris and Scott were standing in the sheriff’s office. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “So not only do I have a possible wolf pack to worry about, but your sister attacking Beacon Hills’ pack as well? Are they okay?”

“Peter will heal now that the wolfsbane is out of his system. Derek’s fine. I’m more worried about the Calaveras,”

“Look, Scott, I can’t spare any deputies to follow the Calaveras around. Parrish is the only one that halfway suspects that Beacon Hills is a supernatural hotspot. I’ve already had two murders that I can’t tell if they’re supernatural or old fashioned human,”

“Wait, two?”

“We had a second body that was savaged like the kid at the school. It didn’t look like a werewolf, though,”

“What did it look like?” Chris asked.

“Like someone took a sword or something and just cut him up. I’m really hoping I’m not dealing with the Oni again,”

“We killed the Oni that was left the night Scott, Kira, Lydia and Stiles defeated Void. This has to be something new,”

“Oh great. Just what I need. Oh, Scott. What does your dad know about Beacon Hills? He was talking about supernatural killers the other day,”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Scott looked like he wanted to kill his dad at that moment. “He knows about me and Derek. He walked in on Mom talking to you and started freaking out about Derek being on the couch. I almost lost control in front of him and then he dared me to take a swing at him when Mom calmed me down,”

“You shifted in front of him?”

“I had to. He kept threatening to take Derek to the hospital. We thought the Hunters or Romero’s pack would finish him off there,”

“And it’s never pretty when a werewolf ends up at Beacon Hills Memorial,” Chris said drily.

“You can’t let Dad in on this,”

“Trust me, I’m not if I can help it,”

“I’m going to go through the bestiary again. Maybe Deaton knows something,”

“I’ll ask him,”

 

“Swords?” Deaton held the syringe in the air as he drew the shot for the dog. “Like the Oni?”

“That’s what the sheriff described it as. Is there anything that uses a knife or a sword to kill?”

“Besides humans? No,” He gave the dog the shot. The dog’s broken leg was healing slowly but Deaton didn’t think he would lose it. The vet turned away and then stopped. “Wait,” He disposed of the needle and turned back to Scott. “When Derek was about five or six, a couple met with Talia. They had a pair of young children with them. Talia asked me to come to the meeting as well. They claimed to be supernatural creatures themselves. They called themselves Valkyries,”

“Like the deities that took slain warriors to Valhalla in Norse mythology?”

“Yes. They remained in human form the entire time, but they warned us of some of their kind that had allowed darkness and evil to rule their hearts. They were the last of the pure hearted ones. They said that they would be able to take anything and make it into a weapon. The mother even demonstrated,” Deaton took his pen out of his pocket. “She turned a pen into a dagger,”

“I don’t like the sound of that,”

“Which was why I was glad we never had any other Valkyries in Beacon Hills. If there are any of the Hale records that survived the fire, there may be an entry on the Valkyrie. If the dark Valkyrie have finally come to Beacon Hills, we may have to have an alliance with the Calaveras, as much as I would hate to suggest it. And gather as many allies as we can,”

 

“That doesn’t sound good,” Derek said. “If they can literally make anything into a weapon, no one around here is safe,”

“Yeah. They have to be after something,”

“Or someone,” Derek thought a moment. “How many people have been murdered so far?”

“Just two. The kid that throw the party where Romero tried to take Isabel and you were attacked and a guy named Martin Williams,” Derek looked up.

“What? Who did you just say?”

“Martin Williams,” Scott gave him a curious look. “Did you know him?”

“Hey, wasn’t that…,” Peter started.

“Yes,” Derek growled. “He’s Paige’s father,”

“Paige?”

“Paige was Derek’s—,”

“Shut up, Peter,”

“That was the girlfriend that was bit by Ennis, wasn’t she?” Derek spun around on Peter.

“You got Ennis to do it!?”

“He had just lost a Beta! Figured he could do a favor for you and get on Talia’s good side,” Derek’s eyes glowed and his claws came out. Scott grabbed Derek’s wrist.

“We need to figure out who they’re after,” Derek suppressed his wolf.

“I see two common denominators here,” Peter said. “Derek and your current girlfriend,”

“She’s not my girlfriend. And how do you figure…,” He trailed off. “Son of a…,”

“What am I missing here?”

“Isabel kinda looks like Paige. She was at the party and I have the connection to Paige,” Derek turned and sprinted towards the stairs.

“Derek!”

“Go after him. I’ll be fine,”

 

Derek took the front steps by two. He knocked and the door creaked open slightly. He flicked out the claws on his right hand and pushed open the door the rest of the way, letting his wolf senses take over.

“Michelle? Isabel?” He could hear Scott’s bike drawing closer. He smelled other wolves. A muffled scream and a frantic heartbeat. He slowly made his way into the living room and saw Michelle on the floor, struggling. She was tied hand and foot, with a gag and a blindfold. “Michelle!” He retracted his claws and went to her aid, pulling off her blindfold and gag. He could tell she’d been crying.

“Oh thank God!” Derek untied her and she threw her arms around him, shaking and crying with relief.

“Derek!” Scott ran into the room.

“They took Isabel,” Michelle said. “They broke in here and said they would kill me if she didn’t go with them. They stunned her and tied me up. Oh, God!” Scott was immediately on his phone.

“We’re at Michelle and Isabel’s house. They’ve been attacked. We just found Michelle but Isabel’s missing. The house the Whittemores used to live in,” Scott hung up. “The sheriff’s on the way,”

“Don’t leave me. Please,” She clung to Derek. “Please,”

 

Derek and Scott answered Parrish’s questions while Stilinski talked to Michelle. The two were leaning against the Cruiser as Michelle was loaded into an ambulance. Stiles joined them as Parrish thanked them and headed towards the sheriff.

“What’s going on?”

“The pack went after Isabel,” Derek said in a low voice. “I could smell at least three wolves,”

“So did I,” Scott confirmed.

“What does a pack of Betas want with Isabel?”

“I don’t think it’s the pack that wants her. I think it’s something else,”

“What?” Stiles looked between the two werewolves. “Something else? What something else?”

“Something a lot more dangerous than what we’ve already seen,”

“More dangerous than Alpha Packs, Darachs and Nogitsunes?”

“I think so,”

“Will you two stop talking in your little werewolf code and say it straight!” Scott and Derek looked at one another and Derek sighed.

“Fine. If you want to know, we may be dealing with Valkyries,” Stiles gave him one of his famous “you’ve got to be kidding” looks.

“Valkyrie? Seriously?”

“Yes, Stiles! Seriously!” Sheriff Stilinski joined them.

“How bad is it, boys?”

“I smelled wolves when I went in,” Derek said. “I think Romero’s pack came for Isabel,”

“What would they want with Isabel? Because of Romero? Derek,” The older werewolf was climbing into the SUV.

“I’m going to track her before they kill her. I know her scent,”

“I’ll call Chris and see if he’ll help,” Scott added as Derek drove off.

“Call me when any of you find anything,” Stiles and Scott went to their vehicles as Rafe walked towards them.

“I walk up and everyone scatters,”

“I wonder why?” Stilinski walked off, leaving Rafe to look after him.

 

Derek pulled into the warehouse district, Isabel’s scent having led there. He parked the Cruiser and went the rest of the way on foot.

“Fitting,” he muttered. Her scent led to the warehouse where he had met with Scott, Isaac and Chris to deal with Jackson. And the place where Jackson was finally able to become a werewolf. He crept into the warehouse and saw five werewolves. Isabel was sitting on the floor, her back to a beam and her wrists tied above her head. Derek heard the crackle of a Taser and Isabel pressed herself against the beam.

“Stop!”

“Jared, he wants her alive,”

“He’ll get her alive, but I want to know why he wants her first,”

“Screw you!” There was no fear. She screamed as Jared pressed the Taser against her side. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Are you afraid everyone else will see those eyes of yours?” Isabel looked at him and Derek was surprised to see her eyes briefly glow a medium blue before reverting back to their normal green.

“She’s a wolf. So what?”

“There’s no way in hell she’s a wolf!”

“Okay, coyote,”

“Shut up!”

“You’re not the Alpha, Jared. Who made you leader anyway?”

“Romero did that’s who,” Jared paused. “I think your friend finally showed up,” Derek stepped out where the pack could see him. Isabel had a horrified look on her face.

“Let her go,” Derek said, calmly.

“Um… no,” He turned on the Taser again.

“Get out of here, Derek!”

“Oh, he doesn’t run. He’s a Hale. The Hales don’t run from a fight,”

“You want one, I can give it to you,”

“In case you didn’t notice, we’re a pack. You’re alone,”

“You’re a pack of Betas. Didn’t Romero tell you that you’re not a pack without an Alpha?” One of the wolves flicked out his claws. “Let her go now,” Jared held the Taser to Isabel’s side.

“I can’t do that. See, she’s valuable to someone,” Jared brushed a stray hair away from Isabel’s face. “Someone who can keep the Hunters off our backs,”

“Use that on her again and I will rip your throat out. With my teeth,” Jared turned on the Taser and Isabel screamed, the veins in her neck popping out from the pain of the electricity going through her body. Her eyes flashed blue again and she squeezed them shut. Derek growled as Jared tossed the Taser aside and flicked out his claws. One by one, he placed them on her throat.

“You won’t do anything if it puts her in danger, now will you, Hale,” He held his hand out to one of the wolves and he was handed a syringe. “But you should know, you’re too late to save her,” He stuck the needle into Isabel’s neck and injected the contents into her. Isabel’s eyes fluttered and she then went limp. Jared tossed the syringe aside. Derek roared, flicking out his claws. “Now, we’re going to show you what a pack of Betas can do to an Omega,” Derek looked over each Beta as he transformed.

“Let me show you what a Beta with a True Alpha can do,”


	7. Choices

“Hey,” Michelle joined Derek as he sat in the hall of the hospital. He looked up at her.

“Hey,” She sat down next to him and he pulled his leather jacket forward as if he was trying to keep her from seeing something. “Any news?”

“Nothing yet. They won’t let me in to see her because I’m not family,”

“Yeah. Me either,”

“Thanks, Derek,”

“For what?”

“For showing up when you did. And for finding Isabel,”

“Seems like those guys were the little posse that followed Romero around. So all of them are dead?”

“There was only three at the warehouse. Looked like they killed each other fighting over her. Stilinski said that there were five in that group,” Scott and Stiles walked up to them.

“Hey, Michelle,” Scott greeted when he walked up. “Any news?”

“Nothing yet,” Derek answered. “Last we’ve been told is they’re detoxing whatever sedative they gave her out of her system. She’s still out,”

“I have to get to work,” Michelle said. “I’ll be back after work to see if anything’s changed,”

“Alright,” Michelle left and Scott and Stiles sat down. Scott handed Derek a shirt.

“Here,” Derek took his jacket off, revealing the tattered and bloody shirt. The only evidence that he’d been injured during the fight. He quickly changed shirts, Scott taking the ruined one, before pulling his jacket back on. “What didn’t you want to say in front of her?” Scott asked.

“Isabel was given enough tranquilizer to kill a horse. When you talked to Chris about any creatures with blue eyes, you were asking about Isabel, weren’t you?”

“You saw it, too,” It wasn’t a question. Derek nodded.

“Jared was Tasing her and her eyes turned blue. Not as bright as mine, Peter and Malia’s, but I have no doubt in what I saw,”

“So if she’s not a wolf…,” Stiles started.

“I don’t know that she’s not. She could just be another rare type of wolf. Or her eyes could just be naturally darker. Malia’s changes from bright to dark all the time,”

“She heals like we do,”

“What?”

“The night I saw her eyes glow, the Beta threatening her left a scratch on her cheek. It healed just as quickly as it would on one of us,”

“So maybe she _is_ a wolf. Or a coyote. Or a…,”

“Stiles?” Derek sighed.

“Yeah?”

“Shut up,” Scott’s phone went off.

“Mom? Turn around,” All three stood as Melissa approached them.

“She’s awake. And she’s asking for you, Derek,”

“That’s good, right?” Stiles asked.

“She has to be one of you. She should be dead with the amount of tranquilizer on her tox screen. You two, get to school,” Scott and Stiles turned and headed out the door as Melissa led Derek to Isabel’s room. “John wanted me to call him as soon as she was awake,”

“Alright,” Melissa opened the door and Derek went in and sat in the chair next to her. “Isabel?” She opened her eyes.

“Derek,” There was relief in her voice.

“Everything’s okay. They won’t hurt you anymore,”

“Are they all dead?”

“Jared and another one took off. The rest are dead. The cops are looking for them right now,” Truthfully, it was Araya and her Hunters tracking them down. It was Scott’s idea to send them after the two werewolves to keep them busy, hoping they’d return to Arizona. Derek leaned forward and she took his hand.

“I’m going to have to leave Beacon Hills. It’s not safe here. For any of you,”

“We can protect ourselves. Running from this will only prolong it,”

“He said the Hales don’t run,”

“We don’t. We stand our ground when we have to. Whoever is after you, they won’t have you,” He touched her cheek. “I won’t let anything happen to you,”

“You’ll only get hurt,”

“I’ll heal,”

“What if it’s something you can’t heal from?”

“Then I’ll deal with it,” Stilinski and Rafe entered the room.

“Why am I not surprised to see you here?” Rafe quipped. “Coaching her in what lie to tell?”

“Seriously, McCall?” Stilinski said, giving him a glare. Derek didn’t have to use any of his wolf senses to tell that the two didn’t like one another.

“Get out, Hale,” Isabel squeezed Derek’s hand.

“He stays,” she said.

“We need to ask you some questions about the attack,”

“Then ask them in front of him,” Stilinski was trying to hide his amusement. “He stays or I’m not saying anything,” Rafe glared at Derek, who shrugged and hoped that his own amusement wasn’t showing. Although, he really didn’t care for Rafe either or if he saw that amusement.

“Fine,”

 

Danny sighed as he put on his lacrosse gear.

“I thought I said not to involve me in your antics,”

“Since when is information an antic?” Stiles asked.

“When it involves you,”

“Oh come on, Danny,”

“Does it involve hacking?”

“Not this time,” Danny gave Stiles a look. “We just want to know what you know about the supernatural,”

“You probably know more about than I do,”

“In your research into the telluric currents, did you come across anything dealing with supernatural creatures,” Danny shook his head.

“Only the Nemeton was what drew them here. Never came across anything specific. If you want my help, just ask me straight out,”

“Have Valkyries been drawn to the Nemeton?”

 

Derek offered to drive Isabel home when she was released from the hospital. As she was signing out, Melissa pulled Derek aside.

“I don’t know what exactly is going on, but I have a feeling she’s the center of this. That pack wanted her for a reason,”

“I don’t think it’s the pack that wanted her. I think they were going to deliver her to someone else,”

“But who?”

“We’re trying to figure that out and with two members of that pack still out there, protecting her is our priority,”

“The whole pack? Or just you?” Derek glanced at Melissa. “I see the way you look at her. It’s a lot like how Scott used to look at Allison,”

“Is it that obvious?”

“It is to me. Just be careful. I don’t want to see either one of you getting hurt again,”

“Yes, Mom,”

“Shut up,” Isabel joined them.

“Thanks for this, Derek,”

“Anytime,”

 

The drive home was fairly quiet. Isabel watched the scenery go by. She didn’t remember much but she did remember Derek facing off with a pack of werewolves before whatever Jared gave her kicked in.

“Derek?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“Yes?”

“What…,” Isabel wasn’t sure how to ask this without sounding crazy. “What exactly did you see that night?”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly that. What did you see?”

“I saw you being tortured by your ex’s friend. I saw you tied to a beam and then injected with tranquilizer. I should be asking you what you knew about your ex and his friends,”

“Michelle can’t know,” The statement was automatic.

“She won’t,”

“I don’t know why I said that. I know you won’t tell her. You’ll probably think I’m crazy,”

“Try me,”

“Romero and his friends were a pack of werewolves,”

“That’s why you were scared of him,” Derek had a complete lack of reaction as if he’d already knew this.

“It wasn’t because he was a werewolf. He was always angry. Not the suppressed kind of anger you have. I’m talking full blown rage,”

“The kind that puts someone in the hospital,”

“Yeah. That’s why I was afraid of him. His Alpha told him to leave me alone,”

“What if I told you that Romero was an Alpha when he died?”

“That doesn’t surprise me. I really hope it was Hunters that killed him,”

“It was,”

“You don’t seem to be surprised by all this,”

“I’ve seen enough around here to know that nothing surprises me,” Isabel chuckled.

“You knew about this before I said anything, didn’t you?”

“What makes you think that?”

“When Jared said they were a pack and you were alone, you responded by saying they were a pack of Betas. That they weren’t a pack without an Alpha. How did you know that?” Derek had hoped she wouldn’t remember that part.

“I have a friend that’s a Hunter. He told me all about werewolves,” The half-truth tasted bitter on his tongue. He didn’t like lying about how he knew about werewolves, but he didn’t think she needed to know the truth about him this soon after her ordeal. Derek pulled up in front of her house and walked her to the door. Michelle threw the door open.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the hospital and pick you up myself,”

“It’s alright. Derek was kind enough to give me a ride,” Michelle noticed that Isabel was grasping Derek’s hand.

“I can see that,”

“I leave you in good hands, Isabel,” She smiled.

“Thanks, Derek. For everything,”

 

Scott switched the light on in his room and turned around, nearly jumping out of his skin.

“Holy crap, Derek!” he breathed. “I told you to stop doing that!”

“I know,” Derek was sitting in the oversized chair next to the window.

“You also know you can use the front door instead of the window, right? My mom knows that we’re werewolves,” Derek didn’t respond. “You look like you need someone to talk to,”

“I do and you’re really the only one I trust. Literally,” Scott tossed his book bag down and sat on the bed. “Well, you and Stiles,”

“Really?”

“You know about Paige, but do you know the whole story?”

“I only know what Peter told Stiles and Cora. Stiles didn’t really believe what he said,”

“Because most of it probably wasn’t true. Why was he telling them about Paige anyway?”

“Cora had said that you had changed a lot since she’d last seen you and Peter decided that telling them the story of why your eyes are blue would explain everything,”

“Paige was to me how Allison was to you. We were fifteen, just teenagers. I thought I was in love with her, but I was afraid of what would happen if she found out the truth about me. We met when I was annoying her at school,” Scott gave a laugh, trying to imagine a teenaged Derek, let alone him being annoying. “Peter and I used to be fairly close friends. I didn’t tell him everything but I did tell him about Paige. He’s actually not much older than me. He was already graduated by the time I started high school. He knew I was afraid Paige would find out that I was a wolf and suggested that I turn her,”

“So it _was_ Peter’s idea,”

“Yeah. And because I trusted him, I let him talk me into it. We both knew my mother wouldn’t do it, so he told me he would talk to one of the Alphas that were in town for her advice,”

“Peter said Talia was well respected,”

“She and Laura both had a rare ability to shift completely into a wolf. I used to be jealous that Laura got the talent and not me,”

“Kinda like Malia?”

“Yeah. Kinda like Malia. Peter said he’d handle everything. Paige and I used to sneak out all the time and meet in different places. Mostly it was the abandon distillery where we fought Jennifer but sometimes we met at the school. I was waiting for her when I heard her scream. I ran through the school looking for her. When I found them, I jumped on his back. You can imagine how that went. A fifteen year old Beta against an Alpha who had been one for God knows how long. He slammed me on the ground and held me there. That’s when I smelled the blood and knew it was already done. I never knew Peter had asked Ennis. I actually never saw his face, I was more focused on Paige. He would have been the last person I would have asked. I would have asked my mother before him,”

“Peter said the Bite didn’t take,”

“It didn’t. Her body rejected it. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. All that time, I was afraid that she’d find out what I was only to learn that she already knew and didn’t care,” Derek looked up at Scott and he could see the pain in the older wolf’s eyes as he talked about it. It still hurt him to talk about it. “You’ve met quite a few of us with blue eyes. Peter from killing everyone involved with the fire, Jackson from his time as a kanima, the Twins from killing their pack, Malia for accidentally killing her mother and sister. I’ve only ever taken one innocent life. Paige. Because she begged me to make the pain stop. Peter was there for the whole incident. He never told me when he had told Ennis to do it. He never told me who he asked. And I ended up losing Paige and a part of myself because of it,”

“Is that why you never trusted anyone afterwards?” Derek nodded.

“Yeah. And the two times I dropped my guard and trusted someone, it bit me in the ass. You know, I thought that I loved Kate and I thought she loved me. I was sixteen, still emotionally vulnerable because of Paige. I actually trusted her. And then she murdered my family. And Jennifer…,” Scott knew that he’d had true feelings for the woman who turned out to be the Darach. They’d met the night he, Derek, Isaac and Chris had trapped a raging Boyd and Cora in the boiler room of the school, not knowing a teacher was in there. Derek saved her life by holding the two Betas’ attention long enough for the sun to rise and not long afterwards entered into a relationship with her.

“You loved her, didn’t you?”

“I thought I did. I thought she was just different. The first time we met I was covered in blood and scratches. She barely seemed to react when I went to her for help after I was nearly killed by my stupidity in that abandoned mall. She barely reacted to seeing me fully transformed the night Boyd died,”

“I know you didn’t believe us when Stiles and I told you she was the Darach,”

“I admit I didn’t until you used the mistletoe on her. But a part of me still didn’t want to believe. Right up to the point she tried to kill me for protecting you and Deucalion,” Scott then realized what Derek had done. He’d purposely convinced her to heal Deucalion’s eyes and then held on to her attention long enough for the lunar eclipse to pass. She slammed him repeatedly into a boiler while he couldn’t heal or transform.

“That’s why you didn’t fight back when she was slamming you against the boiler,”

“Like the night we met when I allowed Boyd and Cora to nearly rip me to shreds. I just needed to hold her attention long enough for the eclipse to pass just like I needed to hold their attention long enough for the sun to come up,” Derek sighed. “I couldn’t kill her, Scott. I knew then that she’d manipulated my feelings for her like Kate did, but… but I just couldn’t kill her,”

“I know. And I wasn’t expecting you to kill her either,”

“Would you have killed her?”

“If it meant saving my mom, yes,” Scott then realized why Derek had told him all this. “You’re afraid that Isabel will turn on you, aren’t you?”

“I…,” Derek sighed. “I don’t know. She knew Romero and his pack were werewolves. She asked me what I saw that night. I couldn’t tell her that I saw her eyes glow,”

“So she’s aware of us?”

“I don’t know if she knows about us, per say. But she’s aware of the existence of werewolves. But she wasn’t afraid of Jared or the other wolves. It was just Romero,” He paused. “How did you know Allison was the one?”

“It… it just felt right. I really don’t know how to explain it,”

“I don’t want to hurt her. Everyone around me always gets hurt or killed,”

“Are you afraid she’ll get hurt? Or you?” Derek looked up at Scott.

“I guess a little bit of both. There’s just something about Isabel… I can’t explain it,”

“Mom would call it love. Not just anyone would take on a powerful Alpha and then his whole pack for someone. The night Allison found out about me, the night we thought Kate died, Mom told me something that I think you could use to hear too. She told me if I loved Allison, I should tell her. And I should tell her everything. If you think you love her, stop fighting it. Stop being afraid of getting your heart broken again. It hurts for a while, but it heals,”

“Have you?” Scott was quiet for a moment. Allison was his first love. It had torn him apart when she died. Derek had seen that the first time they met after her death. Isaac had told him she’d died in Scott’s arms. The two weren’t together at the time, he and Kira had started dating shortly before hand. But the pain was still in Scott’s eyes when anyone spoke of Allison.

“Not quite, but it hurts less when I’m with Kira,”

 

Derek sat on the staircase in the house he’d grown up in. While the county had taken it over after the fire, Derek lived here for a little while after returning to Beacon Hills when Laura disappeared. The whole back of the house was burned out. The front part of the house was fairly stable, despite all the werewolf fights that had gone on in it, not to mention the two times Kate had fired guns inside and out. He and Peter came here on occasion, along with Scott and Stiles. Not only had most of his family died here, Kate had too. He stood and started to walk out the door. He’d repainted the door again, covering up the Alpha Pack’s triskilion. As he jogged down the front steps and headed back to his Cruiser, he caught the scent of rain. And a familiar human scent in the air. A slight breeze was coming from the direction of the overlook, carrying the scent to him. The former Hale property bordered Beacon Hills Preserve. One of Derek and Paige’s favorite spots to escape to was the area overlooking Beacon Hills. The scent grew stronger the closer he approached the overlook. Isabel was leaning against the hood of her Mustang, looking over the lights of the city. Derek felt the first drops of rain.

“You really shouldn’t be out here alone,” he said. She jumped before looking over her shoulder. She relaxed once she saw her company was Derek. “Didn’t mean to scare you,” He moved next to her, leaning against the Mustang as well, his hands in his jacket pockets.

“I know, but I needed a place to clear my head,”

“You too, huh?” Isabel smiled.

“Yeah. I’m torn between running again and staying. But someone once told me I can’t just keep running,” Derek smiled.

“Once you start running you’ll never stop. You’ll always be running,” It was the last thing he told Boyd and Erica before they decided to leave his pack in search of a new one. It was the very last thing he’d ever said to Erica. Another death he blamed himself for.

“Have you never ran from anything in your life?”

“I did once. But I didn’t get very far before I turned back,”

“Why?”

“I had something to hold me back. I had a reason to stay,”

“I usually don’t have anything to hold me back. Nothing to anchor me. Until now. That’s why I’m torn,” She pushed off the car and took a few steps forward. The rain started falling harder. “I’m torn between leaving and staying in Beacon Hills with you,” Derek pushed off the Mustang and went over to her.

“If you’re worried about Jared and the other wolf…,”

“I…,” she trailed off. “I am. I don’t know…,”

“I won’t let them get to you again,”

“Are you going to protect me all the time?”

“I can try,” Isabel slowly placed her hands on his chest and looked up at him. The rain was coming down now, the droplets rolling down his face. Her hair was soaked now. He pushed a strand out of her face. His hand lingered a moment.

“You can’t make that promise,” She looked down. Derek lifted her chin and looked into her green eyes.

“I _am_ making that promise. I’m not going anywhere,” He dropped his hand. A moment later, Isabel kissed him. He pulled her closer, returning the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck. They were breathless when they pulled apart.

“I like the sound of that,” Isabel whispered and Derek swore her heart skipped a beat as she said it.

 

“You had her and then you lost her!” The two werewolves looked at one another. They couldn’t see the man speaking.

“Hale showed up,” Jared said. “Beacon Hills is their territory,”

“The Hales are dead, Wolf. Just because one is still around doesn’t mean you should have tucked your tail and run,” Jared growled. His fellow werewolf put a hand on Jared’s shoulder.

“He killed three of our pack!”

“We can get her back,” Jared glared at his friend.

“Get her back? How are you planning on getting her back with both Beacon Hills’ Sheriff and Hunters on your asses?”

“We use her friend, her coworkers, Hale himself if we have to. We will find a way to trap her again,” The man fell quiet. Four more figures moved around them.

“So what you’re asking of me is a second chance?” The figures began to move towards them, varying shades of green glowing from the shadows. The two wolves flicked out their claws, their own eyes glowing yellow. Jared growled. “You’ll find that I do not give second chances,” The green glows rushed at them and the werewolves roared.


	8. Innocence

“This is a bloody mess,” Stilinski said, lifting the bloody sheet and examining the mutilated body beneath it. Rafe knelt next to him.

“This is different from the other two,” Stilinski had to agree.

“This is more aggressive. Whoever did this made sure that the throat was severed,”

“Look at the rest of the wounds. They’re deeper, especially around the heart. The ones in the rest of the body seem a bit shallower than the other victims,”

“Is the other the same way?” Rafe went over to the other body.

“Yeah,” He paused. “Wait a minute. I think these are the guys that ran with the guy killed outside that party. The ones that tried to kill Isabel Sullivan,” Stilinski studied the man’s face. He hated to admit to it, but Rafe was right. “That just made her and Hale people of interest,” Stilinski had promised Scott not to involve his dad, but he was positive Derek wasn’t involved. Stiles had told him that werewolves could be killed by wolfsbane, being but in half, fire and each other. He told him that Derek had killed Peter by slashing his throat. The wound on this werewolf’s throat wasn’t made by claws, but by a blade of some kind. Stilinski stood and took several steps away from the crime scene, pulling out his phone.

“ _Hello_?” Scott answered.

“Did you ever find out anything new on what could possibly be our killer?”

“ _We’re looking through the Hale records now_ ,”

“Well, add a new criteria to your search. Whatever it is can kill werewolves,”

“ _What? Who?_ ”

“I think it’s the two that escaped when Derek found Isabel. They were killed the same way the other two victims were. I suggest your pack stick close together,”

“ _I’ll let the others know_ ,” Stilinski hung up. Rafe was walking towards him. Stilinski sighed. The sooner he knew what they were up against, the sooner he could close these cases.

 

“I don’t like that look,” Stiles said. Peter was scrolling through the records that he’d digitized shortly after coming out of the coma the fire that killed most of his family had placed him in, his chin propped in his left hand and looking slightly bored.

“The two wolves that had Isabel were found dead, just like the other two victims,”

“Savagely Jack the Rippered?” Peter gave Stiles an odd look.

“Jack the Rippered? Seriously?”

“Please tell me you know who Jack the Ripper is,” Peter gave him one of his famous looks.

“Knock it off,” Scott said before anything else could be said.

“Look, Scott, I’m not seeing anything about Valkyries. Maybe Talia…,” he trailed off. “Unless she wrote it in her personal stuff,”

“What? Like her diary?” Stiles asked.

“She didn’t keep a diary. She kept a journal that she wrote a lot of her most important things in. Like her children’s births, important meetings she had, deaths,”

“Did it survive the fire?” Scott asked

“I really don’t know. There’s only one way to find out,”

“Oh, goody. We get to go on a field trip,” Stiles quipped

“Why do we keep him around?”

“Because he can do stuff that we can’t. Like cross Mountain Ash barriers,” Peter shrugged.

“I guess that’s a good reason,”

 

“Alright, let me get this straight,” Stiles said, as he rummaged through a drawer in an upstairs room. “We’re looking for an Alpha’s diary in the hopes that she wrote down an encounter with a Norse deity?” Scott was on the other side of the room looking through a closet.

“That sounds about right,”

“And if we don’t find it?”

“We only have what my boss knows about them,”

“Which isn’t much to begin with,”

“I know,”

“Why didn’t she put it in the Hale records?”

“How am I supposed to know?” Scott grabbed the top of the door frame to pull himself up to see farther into the back of the closet, a red glow lighting up the darkness there.

“You know it still kinda freaks me out when you do that,” Scott dropped down.

“Why?”

“Because I got so used to seeing the yellow glow sticks when you transformed. Red just makes you look like a demon,” Scott chuckled and let his eyes return to brown.

“There’s nothing up here. Maybe Peter had better luck,” The two best friends descended the stairs and met Peter at the bottom. He was holding a mostly burned book.

“Found it. But it’s too damaged to be able to get anything out of it,”

“Well, there goes that plan,” Stiles said. “Why can’t we have a break every once in a while?”

“That would be nice,” Peter quipped. “I guess back to square one?”

“Wait,” Scott suddenly said. “Are there entries for unknown creatures that the Hales have come across?”

“What do you mean by ‘unknown creatures’?”

“Creatures they met but didn’t have a name to go with it,” Peter thought for a moment.

“You know I think we do. But I’m afraid there’s quite a few entries under that heading,”

“Then we better get started,”

 

Derek sat across from Rafe and Stilinski in the sheriff’s office.

“You have motive, Hale,”

“Maybe. But this wasn’t me,”

“Then where were you last night?”

“I was at the overlook in the Preserve. With Isabel,”

“What were you doing out there?”

“Talking,”

“About what?”

“Nothing that relates to this investigation,”

“It might,”

“I doubt it,” Derek stood. “So unless I’m being framed for murder again, I think we’re done,” Stilinski’s hand was over his mouth, hiding the grin. Parrish, standing behind Stilinski, looked just as amused. Rafe looked as perturbed as his heart beat suggested.

“Fine,” He turned to Parrish, the two officers managing to straighten their faces as he did so. “Parrish send in Sullivan,” The deputy motioned for Derek to leave. The two left the office and Parrish escorted Isabel into the office. Derek leaned against a desk and waited, listening in.

“The bodies of two of the men that hung out with Romero was found dead last night. Stabbed multiple times,”

“And you think I have the motive to have done it?”

“You do have the motive,”

“But I do _not_ have the strength to kill two men. If I did, the whole group of them wouldn’t have kidnapped me in the first place. And if I did do it, don’t you think you would have found my body as well?” Derek hid an amused smile.

“Where were you last night?”

“At this lookout above Beacon Hills with Derek,”

“Did you two concoct this story?”

“Why would we concoct a story about being at the lookout?”

“What were you two doing there?”

“Dancing naked in the rain,” Stilinski laughed out loud and Derek heard the angry upbeat of Rafe’s heart. “What do you think we were doing? We were talking about different stuff. Beacon Hills in general. Our families,”

“Look, Ms. Sullivan, I’m looking for whoever killed two members of a gang that tried to kidnap you and kill Derek Hale,”

“Well, you’re looking in the wrong place. Are you charging me?”

“No,” Stilinski said, his chair scooting across the floor. “We’re not pressing charges against either of you. We were just trying to get any insight into who could have killed them,”

“It wasn’t either of us,” The door opened and Stilinski and Isabel walked out.

“I’ll walk you to your car,”

“She rode with me,” Derek said. Stilinski motioned towards the front. As they walked out, Stilinski put a hand on Derek’s arm.

“Derek,”

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Isabel nodded and went over to the Cruiser.

“I know it wasn’t you. There were no claw marks. Whatever it is used a blade of some kind. It was more vicious than the other two victims, almost like they knew they were werewolves,”

“Scott, Peter and Stiles are trying to find any information on what it could possibly be. So far it looks like it’s going after anyone connected to Isabel or me,”

“I don’t see the connection with you,”

“The second victim was the father of my girlfriend in high school,”

“Ah, crap,”

“Yeah. Just be careful. Stiles would stab me with rare wolfsbane wrapped in Mountain Ash if something happened to you because of your connection to me,”

“I will,” Derek nodded and headed to his SUV.

 

Kira, Lydia and Malia were sitting in the school library, various books spread across the table and Lydia and Kira’s laptops between them.

“All I’m finding is the stuff about them all being female and escorting dead warriors to the Halls of Valhalla,” Malia said, closing a book and adding it to the pile next to her.

“That’s all you’re going to find in these books,” Danny said, making Malia jump. “I really don’t think the school library is going to have anything on real Valkyries,”

“Real Valkyries?” Lydia asked, playing dumb.

“Lydia, we both know you’re not as dumb as you act. Besides, Stiles asked me if I knew anything about the Nemeton attracting them,”

“Wait, you know about all this?”

“For the most part. I do know whoever was controlling Jackson had him attack me over that video he made that I was restoring, I was poisoned with mistletoe because I knew about the connection between the Nemeton and the telluric currents and I recently dated a werewolf. I think I know a little about the supernatural,”

“Well, what we’ve gathered is not much anyway. Actually nothing but the name,”

“I looked back through my research on the currents and I haven’t found any mention of them. Where did you find the name?”

“Dr. Deaton knows a lot about the supernatural, but this he really didn’t know much on. He did say that the murders sounded like they were the doing of Valkyrie,”

“Which is why you’re here doing research,”

“Yeah,”

“Deaton said that they could make weapons out of anything,” Kira said, typing something into a search engine.

“Sounds like a ninja,” Lydia said, making Malia smile.

“No, literally,” Kira picked up a pencil. “They could take this pencil and turn it into a throwing knife or something,”

“Sounds like it would come in handy,”

“Unless you’re one of the Valkyrie Talia was being warned about,”

“Then we’re just screwed,” Malia quipped. Danny nodded in agreement.

“Totally,” Scott and Stiles joined them.

“Hey,” Scott sat next to Kira while Stiles straddled a chair between Malia and Lydia. “We may have found something in the Hale records. Laura Hale had a run in with a creature that she couldn’t identify,” Scott pulled out a printout and put it between them. “She described him as having bright green eyes and black wings. She said he attacked her, but took off when she shifted. She added the encounter to the unknown entries right before Peter killed her,”

“That doesn’t tell us much,”

“Not enough,” Danny agreed.

“There’s seven of them?” Lydia asked, reading over what the Hales knew about them. “‘They can turn any object into the weapon of their choice just by touching it. They have a sort of power that, when active, causes their eyes to glow. The brighter the eyes, the more powerful the creature. T.H.,” Lydia looked up. “I’m assuming T.H. stands for Talia Hale,”

“Yeah, the ones Talia entered were initialed,”

“We need to show this to Derek. If the killer is a pack or flock or whatever of Valkyries and they’re after him or Isabel, he needs to know this,”

 

They decided to meet in Derek’s loft. Danny offered to go to the county library to do some more research. Scott was straddling a chair. Peter was sitting on the spiral staircase. Deaton was leaning against a pillar. Malia was sitting on the table, swinging her legs. Chris was standing next to it with his arms folded. Kira was standing on the left side of the window that covered the far wall of the loft, staring out of it. Lydia and Stiles were sitting on the couch. Peter was watching Malia.

“Is there a reason you keep staring at me?” she finally asked.

“Not really,” Peter answered.

“Then stop it,”

“Come to think of it…,” Scott gave him a warning glare. “Actually never mind,”

“Derek is supposed to meet us here, right? I mean you did talk to him?” Lydia said.

“Yes,” Scott sighed. He pulled his phone out and began to scroll through his contacts.

“Is there a reason the Emissary and the Hunter are here?” Deaton only glanced at Peter. Chris completely ignored him.

“Because I asked them to be here,” Scott found Derek’s number just as the door slid open.

“Glad you could join us,” Peter said drily. “We were thinking about throwing a party while we were here,” Derek glared at his uncle as he slid the door shut behind him. The quip stemmed from a black light Halloween party Aiden and Ethan helped Danny throw when the original venue was forced to cancel because of a city wide blackout. The Twins thought Derek was still out of town and, in a bid to earn Scott’s trust so he’d allow them into his pack, offered the loft for the party. Derek, already pissed off from being ambushed and tagged by the Oni, returned home, crashed the party and drove the partiers away.

“You know for a wolf not strong enough to shift yet, you sure have a big mouth,” Stiles said.

“Looks who’s talking. At least I didn’t let a nogitsune into my head,”

“He was going to kill Malia!”

“Will both of you shut up!?” Scott shouted. By this time, Malia had hopped off the table and Lydia and Kira had walked up to it. Derek nodded at Chris.

“This has to be big if Chris and Deaton are here,” he said.

“We think we know what the murderer is,” Scott said.

“We think we are dealing with Valkyries,” Deaton said. Chris and Derek both raised a brow. “Talia and I met with a family of them years ago as they were passing through Beacon Hills. They came with a warning that some of their kind had grown vicious and to keep an eye out for them. They told us that they would have the power to literally turn anything into a weapon,”

“Just what we need,” Chris muttered.

“Before Laura was lured back to Beacon Hills,” Deaton picked up a print out and handed it to Derek. “She had an encounter with a group of creatures with black wings and eyes that glowed various shades of green. Their leader, a male, backed off when she shifted. She was able to get her account into the Hale records before she was killed,” Derek gave a quick, murderous glance at Peter as Deaton spoke.

“So you think that these Valkyries that Laura encountered are here?”

“It’s possible. But I can’t tell you why they waited so long to come to Beacon Hills. Although it seems that all the victims have a connection to Derek or Isabel, I cannot be sure that is the reason they were killed,”

“Random?”

“Possibly,”

“Could the Nemeton have attracted them?” Lydia asked.

“That’s another possibility,”

“So all we have to figure out now is the who?” Malia asked.

“I say it’s Derek’s girlfriend,” Stiles said. Derek glared at Stiles.

“It’s not Isabel,” he said.

“You said the same thing about your last girlfriend,”

“Are you still going on about Jennifer?”

“Face it, Derek, you tend to date psychotic killers. No offense, Chris,”

“None taken,”

“What makes you so certain it’s Isabel? In case you forgot, she was kidnapped by Romero’s pack. He was going to deliver her to someone,”

“And Matt had Jackson attack him to throw us off his trail,” Scott rolled his eyes.

“Stiles, Isabel’s eyes turn blue, not green,”

“Isabel’s a supernatural?” Chris asked.

“I saw it briefly when one of the wolves was threatening her,”

“And I saw it when Jared was Tasing her,”

“I’m still saying it’s her,”

“It’s not her!”

“And you’re a bit biased,” Peter said. “I can think of one way to find out,” Derek’s eyes flashed.

“You are not torturing my girlfriend,” he growled.

“It was a thought. Besides you didn’t mind the suggestion with Jennifer,”

“Jennifer poisoned my sister!” Chris put a hand on Derek’s chest.

“Save it for the Valkyrie,” Derek’s phone suddenly started going off. He pulled it out of his pocket and stepped away.

“Hello?” Scott smacked Stiles chest.

“Ow!”

“Seriously?”

“With his track record…,”

“Isabel, slow down. What happened?” Everyone’s attention went to Derek. “What? Is she okay? Where? Tell her I’ll be there as soon as I can,” He hung up and turned back to the others. “You can scratch Isabel off that list. She and Michelle were just attacked in full view of a street full of people,”

 

Stilinski dropped the sheet back over Michelle’s body and sighed. His deputies were talking to the witnesses and Parrish was sitting with Isabel on the back on the ambulance as she was calling someone. Rafe knelt next to the body.

“This one isn’t as savage as the others,” he commented.

“But she’s just as dead,” Stilinski thought back to what Derek had said about the victims having connections to him and Isabel. The kid outside the school had thrown the party where Derek was attacked defending Isabel. Martin Williams was Derek’s former girlfriend’s father. The two wolves had tried to kidnap Isabel. Michelle Montgomery was Isabel’s roommate and the best friend of the same former girlfriend of Derek’s. Something was targeting the two and Stilinski was determined to find out who. The sheriff went over to the ambulance. Isabel looked like she was about to go into shock.

“Derek Hale’s on his way to pick her up,” Parrish said. “EMTs say she’s fine but there’s no way she’s giving any kind of statement right now,”

“Alright. Let the others know, especially McCall, to let him through when he gets here,”

“Gotcha,” Stilinski sat next to Isabel.

“I’m not going to ask if you’re okay because I can tell you’re not,”

“They came out of nowhere,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting them,”

“Just take your time,” He glanced down to take his pen out of his pocket and noticed the hole in the side of her shirt and the blood around it. He had a sudden suspicion about Isabel.

“We tried to run. I tried to protect her. But… it just… it just happened so fast,” The phrase caught Stilinski’s attention. It was a phrase he knew well and one used by supernaturals so they didn’t have to explain a supernatural occurrence. The last time he’d heard it was the night Allison died. She’d been killed by an Oni. The official report was a couple of people in masks tried to carjack them and they saw a flash of metal before Allison collapsed. “It just happened so fast” was featured in all of the kids’ statements. Scott told him the truth afterwards. Stilinski realized he was dealing with yet another supernatural serial killer. He looked up to see Rafe giving Derek a hard time and Parrish intervening. Stilinski stood and went over to them.

“I told you to let him through. He’s Isabel’s emergency contact,”

“Fine,” The two moved away from Rafe.

“Derek. I know this killer is supernatural. I have witnesses describing two men and a woman with wings, four stabbing victims on the way to the hospital and another shocked victim saying ‘It just happened so fast.’ And I know that’s what you guys say when you’re trying to keep the supernatural out of an official police report,”

“Did their wings happen to be black?”

“Yeah. You knew?”

“We had a suspicion on what it was. Laura had a run in with them a few years ago. This confirms it,” He suddenly sniffed then looked like he wished he hadn’t. “They killed Michelle, didn’t they?” Stilinski nodded.

“I think these murders have been warnings. I have a bad feeling that one of you are next,” The gurney was wheeling past them.

“Wait,” Derek said. They stopped and Derek lifted the sheet. Michelle’s bloody body was revealed and Derek placed a hand on her arm. A minute later, he replaced the sheet. The gurney headed towards the second ambulance.

“What was that?”

“I can pick up on emotions and images using my wolf senses. I wanted to see what really happened,”

“And?” Derek looked over at Isabel, who was hugging her legs and had her face in her knees.

“This was about Isabel,”

 

Isabel looked up when Derek sat next to her. The tears she seemed to have been holding back rolled down her cheeks as she buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

“I should have been here,”

“I didn’t think they would attack with so many witnesses,”

“I promised you that I’d protect you,”

“I don’t know if you can,” Stilinski returned to the ambulance.

“The EMTs are releasing her. Take her home, Derek,” He nodded. Stilinski turned. “Stay with her tonight,” he added, knowing that Derek would hear him.

“Come on, let’s get you home. Who drove?”

“I did,” She pulled her keys from her pocket with trembling fingers and handed them to Derek.

 

Scott spotted Derek leaving with Isabel as Stiles pulled up on the other side of Derek’s SUV.

“Why didn’t they kill her, too?” Stiles wondered out loud.

“I don’t know. And with all these people, I won’t be able to lock on a scent,”

“What if they’re like Jackson?”

“What do you mean?”

“When he was in kanima form, he didn’t have a scent. What if Valkyries don’t have scents?”

“Perfect. Just our luck,” Scott’s phone rang and he put it on speakerphone. “Yeah?”

“ _I’m driving Isabel home. I’m not leaving her alone tonight. Michelle was a warning. After everyone leaves, go back to the crime scene and do like I taught you,_ ”

“Like when I figured out I didn’t kill the bus driver,”

“ _And when you figured out what Void did on the roof of the hospital_ ,”

“You mean me,”

“ _We’ve been over this, Stiles. It wasn’t you,_ ”

“You can say it as much as you want, it was still me,”

“Shut up,” Derek and Scott said at the same time.

“Okay, that is starting to get creepy,”

“ _You’ll know where I’ll be, Scott_ ,”

“Alright. Just be careful. They know how to kill wolves,”

“ _I will_ ,” Derek hung up.

“I’m still not convinced that she’s not the killer,”

“Stiles, remember what Derek did to your hand before we went to the bank to save Boyd and Cora?” He rubbed his left hand.

“Yeah,”

“I’m going to do that to your face if you say she’s the killer again,”

“Now look who’s the sour wolf,”

 

Isabel sat down hard on the couch and put her head in her hands, her hair cascading over them.

“This isn’t real, right?” she asked, the shock showing in her voice. “This is just a bad dream,” Derek sat down next to her.

“I wish I could say it was,”

“She’s dead,” She lifted her head, pushing her hair back as she did so. “She’s dead because of me,” She looked down at her shirt and pulled it away from her body, Michelle’s blood covering it. “I couldn’t protect her,”

“What do you mean?”

“They told me they would kill her if I didn’t go quietly with them. We ran. I tried to protect her but I couldn’t,” Isabel stood and took off her jacket. Derek noticed the bloodstain in the middle of her upper back as she pulled her shirt over her head. Derek couldn’t help noticing that she had a werewolf’s physique and found himself wondering if she was indeed one. The wing tattoos covered her entire back. She moved towards the bedroom and he listened. He heard a drawer open and close and the shuffle of clothing brushing against skin. A few minutes later, she returned wearing a clean shirt. She sat on the couch next to Derek and laid her head on his shoulder.

“Did they kill her because you ran?”

“They could have taken me, but they wanted me to suffer. They wanted me to know that Michelle’s death was my fault. Because I didn’t cooperate. Because I wasn’t strong enough,”


	9. Visions

“So what are we doing, exactly?” Stiles asked as he and Scott stood on the now abandoned sidewalk.

“ _I’m_ going to see what happened here,” Scott replied. He closed his eyes and focused on all his senses. He caught Isabel’s scent and focused on it. He opened his eyes and saw the flash of Isabel and Michelle walking, giggling like best friends. Scott crouched and touched the sidewalk.

 

_Michelle, run!_

 

Another image of the two women running flashed before him. Scott inhaled again, this time smelling fear. Derek had taught him how to use emotions to figure out what happened at a location. He grasped onto the fear and the scene appeared before him.

 

_A figure swooped down and slammed Isabel into the wall._

_"Isabel!”_

_“Keep running! Don’t stop!” The figure swiped at Isabel and she ducked, sweeping her leg around and knocking him on his back. Isabel regained her feet and darted after Michelle. The female flung something at Michelle._

 

Scott lost the scene. He shook his head.

“Scott?”

“The Valkyries came after them. Isabel fought back,”

“Okay, I may be starting to doubt my earlier assessment,” Scott spotted the pool of blood and approached it, then stopped, sniffing. “What is it?”

“This isn’t just Michelle’s blood. I smell Isabel’s, too,”

“The EMTs said she wasn’t hurt,”

“She heals like a wolf, remember?”

“Oh, right,” Scott knelt down and reached for the blood. “Dude, what are you doing?”

“Touch helps. I need to see what happened to Michelle,”

“Just so you know, that’s kinda gross,”

“Do you mind?”

“Sorry, go ahead with your wolfy thingy,”

“Glad I have your permission,” Scott touched the blood, closing his eyes and heard Isabel’s scream.

 

 

_Isabel fell to her hands and knees, the female Valkyrie holding something in her upper back. The two male Valkyries held onto Michelle._

_“Let her go,” Isabel said, her voice full of pain._

_“We told you, if you came quietly we’d let her go. You fought back,” Isabel’s eyes glowed and Michelle’s widened._

_“Let her go!” She started to rise and the female grabbed her throat and pushed her weapon in deeper, causing Isabel to gasp._

_“No,” He pointed a sword at Isabel. “We’ll let you go for now. But you’re going to watch her die. And you’re going to know that this death,” He motioned at Michelle. “Was your fault,” The two male Valkyries turned to Michelle._

_“No!” Isabel’s scream was loud and long. A moment later, Michelle’s bloodcurdling one joined hers_.

 

“Dude, you look like you’re gonna be sick,” Stiles said. Scott looked up at his best friend.

“Isabel’s not the killer. She’s the one they’re after,”

 

Stiles, Scott, Lydia and Kira were all in Stiles’ Jeep heading towards Isabel’s house, Chris following them in Derek’s Cruiser.

“All I’m saying, Scott, is Derek’s going to get hurt,” Stiles was saying. “You know, the kind of hurt that even a werewolf can’t heal from. He isn’t exactly attracted to normal women,”

“Isabel’s a victim here, too,”

“Has it not occurred to you that there’s probably a reason the Valkyries are after Isabel?”

“Wait,” Lydia suddenly said. “Didn’t Deaton say that a family of Valkyries warned Talia and him that there were others? A more vicious kind of Valkyrie,”

“Yeah,” Scott answered, turning in his seat to look at her. “They said that the others had started using their powers for evil,”

“What if Isabel is a Valkyrie? One of the ones that aren’t using their power to hurt. What if that’s why they’re after her?”

“That doesn’t explain her eyes,” Kira said. “Scott and Derek both said they turn blue. The others turn green,” Lydia thought for a moment.

“She could just be a shape-shifter that the werewolves haven’t quite figured out what yet, too,”

“Or a witch. Or a Druid. Guys, we have a long list of fairy tales and legends to pick from,” Stiles said as he parked in front of the house.

“Just makes this harder since we don’t know anything about them,” Chris joined them as Scott finished his sentence.

“I don’t like going blindly into things myself,” Chris said.

“There’s nothing in the bestiary about Valkyries?” Scott asked.

“Nothing,”

“Would you mind if I took another look?” Lydia asked. “I can read Archaic Latin,” Chris gave her a surprised look. “My translation helped you figure out that the kanima was looking for a master and was being controlled,” Chris looked over at the others.

“It was all Lydia,” Stiles confirmed. “After we made her think we were completely insane,”

“You still could have explained things to me so I didn’t think _I_ was insane,” Kira smiled.

“We thought we were protecting you,” Scott explained. “Badly, but we thought we were,”

“Well, you did keep a pack of werewolves from killing me so you did something right,” Chris gave a small laugh. The whole kanima incident cost the former Hunter his wife. He and Allison had spent months thinking that Derek had attacked and bit her without cause. The truth was Victoria was trying to kill Scott with vaporized wolfsbane because of his relationship with Allison. Scott had just enough strength to howl, which brought Derek to his rescue. Victoria attacked him and he bit her in self-defense and to protect Scott. Gerard used the event as an excuse to brainwash Allison into believing that Derek was the one that had caused her mother’s death and used her and the kanima to manipulate Derek into a position to force the Alpha to bite him in order to cure his cancer. A plan that backfired due to Scott’s own plan involving Mountain Ash once he realized what Gerard wanted from Derek.

“Come by the apartment when you can and we’ll look together,” After his wife’s death, he and Allison had moved out of their house into an apartment. Now he was alone in that apartment. Isaac had lived with him briefly before he and Ethan left Beacon Hills with the triskilion box that held the nogitsune in its housefly form.

“We may have to ally with Araya on this,”

“Scott,”

“I know, but they may have seen this before,” Chris sighed.

“I’ll talk to her and see if they have anything in their bestiary,” Scott nodded. Chris climbed into Stiles’ Jeep and Stiles drove off as Scott, Lydia and Kira climbed the stairs towards the front door.

“This is kinda weird being here,” Lydia commented.

“Why?” Kira asked.

“Her ex-boyfriend used to live here before he moved to London,”

“Oh,”

 

“So she’s growing bolder,” the Valkyrie with the brightest eyes said. “Did she go all the way?”

“Would have been hard for her to do so with a dagger up to the hilt in her back,” the female said, smugly. “She flashed her eyes in front of the human,”

“Did the human know?”

“Judging by the look on her face, I’d say no,”

“She’s known we’re here. Why hasn’t she ran yet?” one of the males asked. “She always runs once she has wind of us,”

“Something is holding her here,” their leader said. He pressed a finger to his lips. “But what?”

“The Beta,” the female suddenly said. “The wolf that Romero attacked and who rescued her from Jared,”

“Hale,” another Valkyrie said. “She left the scene with him,”

“Then we find a way to use him to force her to submit to us,”

“How do you propose to do that? We don’t know how big the pack he belongs to is,”

“Find out. I will see what or who we can use against Hale,”

 

Derek was holding the back of his neck and giving Scott a dirty look.

“How is it you already have that much control over that?”

“Maybe it’s a True Alpha thing?” Scott retracted his claws. “What do you make of it?”

“I saw that last bit when I touched Michelle. If she’s a shape-shifter, whatever was being held into her back looks like it prevented her from shifting,”

“I think they’re hoping to make her run,”

“Or force her to push everyone she knows away,”

“To get her alone and unprotected,” Derek nodded.

“I’m not going to let that happen,”

“Derek, we really have no idea what we’ve gotten into. These could possibly be a lot faster and stronger than us. We don’t know exactly what we’re dealing with,”

“I do know that they are after Isabel for some reason. I know she tried to protect Michelle from them. And I know if she was brave enough to face them alone, I’m not going to let her do it again,”

“ _Nous protégeons ceux qui ne peuvent pas se protéger eux-mêmes_ ,” Lydia suddenly said.

“What?” Kira asked.

“ _We protect those who cannot protect themselves_ ,” Derek translated.

“You know French?” Scott asked.

“I’m multilingual. My mother made sure of that with all the packs that would come to Beacon Hills. I don’t know Archaic Latin, though, so don’t ask me to do any bestiary translating. Chris is the only Argent left that follows that Code. And my family was doing that long before Chris and Allison started to,”

“You told me that your family protected Beacon Hills. We’re protecting it now. You can’t protect Isabel on your own,”

“And you can’t protect her and the city at the same time,”

“She lives here, doesn’t she?” Lydia said. “She’s a part of Beacon Hills, too,” Realization suddenly came across Derek’s face.

“I think I know a way we can find out more information on the Valkyrie. But I’ll need your help. And my mother’s claws,”

 

Derek, Scott and Malia met at the animal clinic.

“Are you sure you want Scott to do this?” Deaton asked. Talia’s claws were in his hand. Derek nodded.

“I trust Scott more than Peter. Peter enjoyed it a little too much the last time I did this,” Deaton sighed and began to arrange the claws on a wooden circle.

“What exactly am I doing?” Malia was watching Deaton intently.

“Just like when you went into Stiles’ head, only I’ll be going into a dream world so I can contact my mother. She’s the only other person beside Deaton that talked to that Valkyrie family,” Deaton pushed the circle of claws into the middle of the table.

“There was a moment when I was asked to leave the room. There may be more that Talia knows. Your claws need to be out,” Scott flicked out his right hand claws. Deaton moved his hand to line his claws up with Talia’s. “This will hurt a little,” Deaton shoved Scott’s hand down. Pain shot through his fingers.

“Ah!” Malia jumped. “A little!?”

“Are you ready for this, Derek?” Derek straddled one of the chairs from the lobby in front of Scott.

“Yeah,” Scott put a hand on Derek’s shoulder and lined the claws up with the back of his neck, just as Peter taught him.

“So you can use an Alpha’s claws to talk to a dead one?”

“It only works with the more powerful ones,” Scott then broke the skin. Derek gave a pained sound and squeezed his eyes shut. Malia gasped. Derek’s face showed the obvious pain this was putting him through.

 

Kira and Stiles walked out of the Yukimura house.

“Sorry my mom didn’t know anything,” Noshiko Yukimura, like Kira, was a kitsune. She’d been around for over 900 years, so the teens had hoped she’d come across a Valkyrie before. Unfortunately, she hadn’t. Kira still resented her mother for not telling her until recently the truth about her family. It was Noshiko who’d released the nogitsune seventy years earlier seeking revenge for wrong doings at a nearby internment camp during World War II. She’d defeated and trapped it in the Nemeton before it was cut down. When Scott, Stiles and Allison sacrificed themselves in order to find their parents before Jennifer could sacrifice them, they gave the Nemeton power again, which released Void from his prison. Void, in turn, chose Stiles as his host and wreaked havoc on Beacon Hills before Scott used his Alpha abilities with Lydia to save him from himself and close the door to his mind. Void then took on Stiles’ form and continued to wreak havoc until they came up with the idea for Scott to bite Void, saving the lives of almost everyone close to them.

“I guess our last hope is for Derek to talk to Talia,” Stiles climbed into his Jeep. Kira climbed into the passenger side. “What are you doing?”

“Going with you. You’re going back to the clinic, aren’t you?”

“Yeah but I meant the sword,” Kira’s katana was on her back. When she learned that she was a thunder kitsune, she also learned that she was a master swordswoman.

“In case we need it?” Stiles shrugged.

“Okay,”

 

They were on a fairly abandoned stretch of street in the warehouse district, when they heard a thunk and the Jeep lurched, shuttered and died.

“What the hell was that?” Stiles managed to pull over to the side of the road. He popped the hood and he and Kira exited the Jeep to find out what happened.

“Stiles, look,” A sword was sticking out of the grill of the Jeep.

“That’s not good,” They both immediately began to look around.

“Ah, so you’re aware of us,” a man with glowing dark green eyes said, stepping out of the shadows. He was shirtless and had black wings protruding from his back.

“Oh, crap,” Stiles and Kira backed away.

“It looks like they know exactly what we are,” another male said behind them. His eyes were slightly brighter than his companion. Two more sets of glowing eyes a shade lighter than the second man appeared. The only female of the group picked up a discarded beer bottle. It rippled and slowly turned into a dagger, which she spun around in her fingers.

“Oh, crap,” Stiles said again. Kira grabbed his arm as she took off across the street, managing to dodge a car in the process. They ran in between the buildings. “You do realize we can’t hide here from them,”

“I know, but we can find a place to make a stand,” She paused. “Well, at least for me,” One of the male Valkyries dropped down in front of them.

“Whoa!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a kitsune,” he said, advancing on them. “Pity the first one I meet I have to kill,” Kira and Stiles darted through an alley. Another male dropped down and Kira used her foxfire on him. The electricity that shot out of her hand hit him square in the chest, throwing him backwards a good distance. He hit the building several yards past the alley as they emerged from it. He lay on the ground cringing and Stiles realized that electricity hurt them as much as it did werewolves. The other three were waiting on the driveway, all giving each other amazed looks. Kira drew her katana and twirled it.

“Stay behind me, Stiles,”

“Gladly,” The Valkyrie closest to them attacked. Kira slashed his cheek. He backed up and smiled. The wound instantly healed much like a wolf. He came at her again. This time Kira slashed his chest and then hit him with a blast of foxfire. Like the first one, he hit a wall and convulsed on the ground. Stiles noticed the wound didn’t heal. The two remaining Valkyries hesitated.

“They have a thunder kitsune?” the female asked. “I thought packs were only wolves,”

“We’re special,” Stiles said. Kira went into a defensive stance, holding her katana up and practically daring the two Valkyrie to attack. They heard an engine revving and a midnight blue Mustang raced towards them. Kira and Stiles dodged into the alley. The female jumped back, using her wings to give her speed. The male wasn’t as fast. The Mustang slammed onto him sending him flying into the female. The passenger door flew open.

“Get in!” Isabel called. “Now!” Stiles and Kira dove into the car and Isabel stomped on the gas petal, squealing the tires. The car raced towards the two Valkyrie and the wall behind them.

“Oh, God!” Stiles cried. Kira braced herself. Isabel turned the wheel expertly, doing a 360 and slamming the left rear of the car into the two Valkyries. She sped off, squealing the tires again. “Holy hell!”

“Holy hell!?” Isabel cried. “What in holy hell were you two doing messing with them!?”

“Um…,”

“They killed Michelle! And they probably killed all those other people!” She took a breath. “Where were you heading?”

“Scott’s house,” Stiles lied. “Study group,” Isabel raised a brow.

“With a katana?”

“History project,” Kira said. This seemed to satisfy Isabel.

“Where does he live?”

 

Derek fell off the chair as Scott staggered backwards. Deaton steadied the Alpha. He then went over to Derek and knelt next to him. He placed a hand on his shoulder. Derek was breathing heavily. He looked up at Deaton and nodded that he was alright. He slowly stood and Deaton went back to Scott to remove Talia’s claws. Malia went over to Derek.

“Are you okay?” she asked. Derek nodded, touching the back of his neck. “Why isn’t it healing?”

“Give him a moment, Malia. This usually takes a lot out of the wolf it’s being performed on. And he’ll heal. Wounds from an Alpha take a little longer to heal on a Beta,”

“Oh,” Deaton was giving Scott a concerned look. The Alpha was leaning over the exam table, his right hand claws still out as Deaton carefully placed all that remained of Beacon Hills’ previous Alpha in a wooden box. “Did Scott go in with you, Derek?” The Beta nodded.

“Yeah,”

“I didn’t try to,” Scott started to explain.

“I know,” Derek turned to Deaton. “My mother was actually intrigued by Scott. But she didn’t know much more than you about the Valkyrie. There are two kinds, but she didn’t know much about the second kind. The kind that family was. They warned her about the kind we’re facing now. She assumed that the dark Valkyrie never came because the pure Valkyrie moved on,”

“Talia believes that Isabel may know more than she lets on about these Valkyrie because they are hunting her,”

“The question is will she trust us enough to tell us,”

“You’re dating her. She obviously trusts you,”

“And every time someone finds out I’m a wolf, they get hurt or killed,”

“Or tries to kill you,”

“You’re real funny, Scott,” Deaton chuckled.

“You don’t necessarily need to reveal yourself as a werewolf,” Deaton said. “You said she’d already opened up slightly the night of Michelle’s murder,”

“She knew they were after her. That night on the overlook she told me she was contemplating running again,”

“Again?” Scott asked.

“I think she’s been trying to stay one step ahead of them for some time,”

“Why stop now?” Malia asked. “I mean why choose Beacon Hills as her place to stand?”

“I don’t think she planned on making a stand here,” Derek looked at Scott. “I’m just the reason she stayed,”


	10. The Connection

Isabel answered the door to see Derek standing there.

“Just who I was hoping to see,” she said with a smile. Derek returned the smile as he walked into the house.

“I hope so,” Isabel chuckled. Then her smile faded.

“They went after Stiles and Kira,”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know. They have no connection to me…,” she trailed off. “Crap,”

“What?”

“The Valkyrie are using a new tactic. They were going to use Stiles and Kira to get to Scott,”

“You knew what these were?” Isabel bit her lip, realizing her slip.

“Yes…,”

“Why try to get to Scott?”

“Because he’s your… he’s your friend. If they had succeeded with his best friend and girlfriend, they would expect Scott to come after them. Then they would have used Scott to lure you to them and in turn use you as bait,”

“To get to you,” Isabel nodded.

“I’m the ultimate goal. They will not hesitate to kill anyone they think is connected to me,” She turned away from Derek. “If you stay with me, you’ll only get hurt or killed. You’ve already been hurt because of me. I don’t want your death on my head, too. I won’t be able to live with myself if they kill you,” Isabel moved away from him as she spoke. “You should run as far as you can from me,”

“This is exactly what the Valkyrie want. They want you to push everyone you care about away in order to get you alone,” He crossed the room and turned her around. “You told me that Romero and his friends were werewolves. Do you know why wolves run in packs?”

“Safety in numbers,”

“Because they’re stronger as a pack, just like a wolf pack in the wild. Wild wolves also force their prey out of the safety of a herd. Which is exactly what the Valkyrie are trying to do,” Derek put his hands on her shoulders. “You tried to protect Michelle from the Valkyrie. You knew what they were and you stood up to them anyway. Alone. You don’t have to do it alone anymore,”

“It’s too dangerous, Derek!”

“I don’t care,” Isabel looked into his eyes, searching for any sign that he didn’t mean what he said. They were completely serious. He didn’t care that the Valkyrie were dangerous creatures that had already killed five people and tried to kill two others. He didn’t care if he was caught in the crossfire between Isabel and the Valkyrie. She wondered what exactly he knew. She grasped his leather jacket and pulled him towards her, her lips crashing into his. The guard that Derek had sworn to never drop again, fell away with a crash. The kiss began to turn passionate as Isabel was pushed against a wall. She pulled his jacket off. He pulled away as the jacket fell to the floor, feeling his canines beginning to extend due to the increase in his heart rate.

“Isabel,” he breathed, managing to regain control before opening his eyes and looking into hers.

“No matter how hard I try, I can’t leave you. I can’t run even if it means protecting you,” She ran her fingers through his black hair. “Because I have fallen in love with you. I could always just drop everything and run, but I can’t do that anymore. And I know you can’t either,”

“Is this what you want? To be with me?”

“Yes,” Derek lifted Isabel into the air and kissed her before carrying her down the hall.

  


Lydia clicked on the last page of the bestiary.

“So we’re dealing with something even your family hasn’t come across?”

“Looks like it,” Chris sighed. “It’s kinda odd that none of the Argents have ever come across a Valkyrie,”

“Maybe they weren’t a threat until recently?”

“That would be a good reason to not have them in the bestiary,” Lydia’s phone binged.

“Mrs. Yukimura hasn’t had contact with them either,”

“Great. Then let’s hope that Talia can give Derek anything,” Lydia suddenly turned and pulled a notebook from her bag.

“What do we know about the Valkyrie?”

“Aside from murdering three humans and two wolves?”

“Of course,” She drew a line down the center of the page and labeled the left half as _Dark Valkyrie_ and then wrote _Murderers_ on the first line.

“Black wings. Eyes glow green. Can literally turn anything into a weapon,” Lydia added Chris’ list to the Dark Valkyrie side. She then wrote _Light Valkyrie_ on the right side of the page.

“What do we know about the other Valkyrie?”

“Absolutely nothing,”

“What if that’s the detail we’re missing?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if Isabel knows more than she’s letting on. Scott said that Michelle’s murder was the Valkyrie trying to make her submit to them. They killed her because she and Isabel ran and then Isabel tried to fight back,” Lydia turned back to her list and crossed out _Light Valkyrie_ , replacing it with _Isabel_.

“What do we know about Isabel?”

“Scott and Derek saw her eyes glow blue at one point. Scott said she heals like a wolf. She survived a large dose of tranquilizer,”

“Scott said she was a fighter as well. She moved a lot like a wolf does,”

“What _is_ she?” Chris wondered out loud. Lydia’s phone binged again.

“Talia didn’t know any more than Deaton, but she thinks that Isabel has a connection to the Valkyrie,”

“But what’s the connection?” Another text arrived.

“Derek’s going over to Isabel’s to find out exactly what she knows. Scott wants me to meet him at his house,” Chris nodded.

“Thanks for looking over the bestiary again,”

“No problem,”

  


“Electricity hurts them,” Kira said as soon as Scott, Malia and Lydia arrived. “They disabled Stiles’ Jeep and forced us into the warehouse district,”

“They attacked you?” Scott asked. “Are you guys okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks to my foxfire and Isabel’s Mustang,”

“Wait, Isabel was there?” Lydia asked. “Why was she there?”

“She just showed up,” Stiles said. “After Kira took out two Valkyrie with her thousand gilowatt foxfire,” Kira rolled her eyes at his description of her foxfire. “This Mustang speeds at us and hits one of the Valkyrie still standing. Isabel gave us the way to escape and then hits the last Valkyrie before speeding off,”

“How did she know you were there?”

“I don’t know,”

  


Chris was already under the hood of Stiles’ Jeep when Stilinski pulled up with Stiles and Scott.

“How bad is it?” Stiles asked. Chris motioned to the sword on the ground.

“It went all the way through. Radiator is busted and it looks like you’re leaking oil and antifreeze,”

“Crap,” Scott was looking across the street.

“Where did they chase you?”

“Through the buildings there,”

“Boys…,” Stilinski started.

“We’ll be back,” Scott and Stiles darted across the street and disappeared among the buildings. “This way,” Stiles lead the way through the alley he and Kira had ran through earlier. “The first one knew Kira was a kitsune,” He pointed ahead. “The second one tried to block us, but Kira hit it with her foxfire. He hit that far building,” They emerged from the alley. “They heal like werewolves, but electricity prevents them from healing,”

“Just like a wolf,”

“Yeah,” Stiles pointed towards the street. “After Kira hit the second one with foxfire, Isabel came speeding from that way and hit one. She hit the other one when she did a 360 over there,”

“But why did they attack you?”

“I don’t know. We don’t have a connection to Isabel,” Something suddenly landed on Scott’s back, throwing him into the building across the drive. Scott hit hard enough to crack the brick. He landed on his stomach. “Scott!” The female Valkyrie landed between Scott and Stiles.

“Oh you do have a connection to Isabel, through Hale,” Stiles backed away. A moment later she was thrown aside by a fully transformed Scott. She tucked and rolled. “I was wondering which one of you was the Alpha,” She spread her wings. “Although I wonder why the human is in your pack,”

“That doesn’t concern you,” She shot towards Scott, who flipped over her and spun around. “Nice trick,” She did the same thing again, this time Scott catching her and throwing her against the same wall he’d crashed into.

“They send you to do this on your own?”

“I’m not alone,” A male Valkyrie dropped down behind Scott, pain exploding down his back from the blade. Scott roared, moving himself to stand between them and Stiles. “Oh, look. He’s pulling an Isabel. Apparently he thinks he can protect the human,” The male went towards Scott. The Alpha dug his claws into his side, growling. The Valkyrie shoved his blade into Scott’s side just as the other Valkyrie went for his back. Another figure landed on her, throwing her across the drive. He crouched and roared. Another figure dug his claws into the male’s back and tossed him over his head. He also crouched and roared. The female stood and gave a scream that sounded like a cross between a human scream and an eagle’s cry. A shotgun went off, hitting the female in the chest, as a third female figure strode towards them. Scott fell to his knees and Stiles ran to his friend’s side. Chris and Stilinski showed up a moment later, firing at the Valkyries, who fled.

“Ethan? Isaac? Braeden?” The figures that had come to his aid turned out to be the absent members of Scott’s pack and the mercenary that had been hired to save Isaac and Derek and Peter at two different times. Isaac had sandy brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing jeans, a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. Ethan, blond haired and blue eyed, was wearing almost the same thing, except his shirt was dark blue. Braeden, a tough woman who had survived an Alpha attack and had the scars on her left cheek and across her throat to prove it, stood nearby with the shotgun over her shoulder. She was wearing all leather and a white tank.

“Having fun without us, I see,” Isaac said.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you two here,” Chris said as Scott’s knife wound healed.

“Deucalion tracked us down just as we were burying the nogitsune with the help of a Druid. She put a spell on it that would not allow it to be opened and we buried it under a Nemeton,”

“Deucalion?”

“He told us that there was something going on in Beacon Hills and that you needed our help and sent Braeden with us,” Chris looked at Scott.

“I didn’t tell him what was going on here,” He then looked at Braeden. “And you’re working for Deucalion again?” Braeden shrugged.

“A girl’s gotta eat,”

“Scott, they’re going after Derek to get to Isabel!” Stiles suddenly cried. “She said that Kira and I had a connection to Isabel through Derek,” Scott immediately pulled his phone out and dialed.

  


Derek sat on the side of the bed. He felt Isabel’s finger tracing the triskilion tattooed in the center of his back. She was sitting behind him wearing a black racerback top that showed off her amazing physique and jeans. She laid her head on his shoulder.

“Why a triskilion?” she asked.

“It’s a family symbol. I got it to remind me of what I lost,”

“It’s like the wings I wear,” Isabel wrapped an arm around his bare chest. Derek placed a hand on her arm. “My parents died when I was sixteen. My brother disappeared shortly afterwards. They symbolize the family I lost,” Derek took her hand and kissed it. She then sighed and lifted her head. Derek turned to her.

“What?”

“I know what you saw that night. I know what Scott saw. I need to tell you everything. I’m going to make some coffee and explain everything. And tell you what I know about the Valkyrie,” Isabel stood, tossing Derek’s shirt at him. “You deserve to know the truth,” She disappeared into the hall as he pulled his shirt over his head. He stood to follow her when his phone started ringing. He saw that it was Scott. Just as he was about to answer, he heard the cackle of electricity, a gasp and a thud. Forgetting about Scott’s call, Derek flicked out his claws and darted into the hall. Isabel was on the floor in the area between the living room and kitchen, her face buried into her arms and her hands balled into fists. Kate was standing over her with a cattle prod and a man he didn’t know was standing behind her with a smug look on his face.

“Hello, Derek,” Kate said. “Hope you don’t mind me dropping by to meet the new girlfriend,” Anger flared in Derek, but he was determined not to shift in front of Isabel.

“What the hell do you want, Kate? Almost killing me and Peter not enough for you?” Kate twirled the cattle prod around.

“Actually killing Peter would have been better. And maybe Scott. But you are worth more to me alive than dead,” Isabel raised her upper body off the floor, her eyes squeezed shut.

“Scott had nothing to do with that. This is between you and me. This has nothing to do with Isabel,” Kate only grinned and knelt next to Isabel.

“She has everything to do with it,” the man said.

“You have no idea, do you, sweetie?”

“Don’t call me that,” Derek growled, his fangs extending. Kate smirked as she grabbed Isabel’s hair and pulled her head back. Isabel gasped and tried to pry her hair out of Kate’s grasp. She then touched the prod to Isabel’s side. Isabel cried out in pain and, like in the warehouse, her eyes turned blue. Derek started to leap forward, only to have the man slam him to the floor, knocking the breath out of the werewolf. Black wings spread out suddenly from his back.

“You know, this is perfect. You see, I finally found a way to get the Calaveras off my back. All I had to do is deliver your very special girlfriend. But you’re my prize, Derek. You’re going to give up where Peter and Scott are hiding, among other things,”

“Do you really think I’d give up my pack? I didn’t give them up the last time you tortured me,” Kate knelt next to him. With a smile, she touched the prod to Derek’s chest. The electricity surged through him and he gave a cry of pain.

“Oh, you’ll help me. Whether you’re willing to or not,” Something hit his head and his world plunged into darkness.


	11. Trapped

Chris pounded on Isabel’s door.

“Derek! Isabel!”

“Their cars are still here,” Stilinski said.

“I smell Derek, but it’s just a scent,” Isaac said.

“That’s because he’s not here,” Ethan was at the end of the driveway. “His scent spreads out here,”

“Guys, we have a problem,” Scott suddenly said. “I smell Kate,”

“Kate?” Isaac asked. “Allison’s aunt? Allison’s dead aunt?”

“Yeah,”

“How is that possible?”

“Who’s Kate?” Ethan asked. Stilinski kicked open the door as Chris dialed Derek again. Braeden stepped inside the house, shotgun at the ready. They heard his phone inside. Stiles picked it up from the middle of the living room.

“This isn’t good,” Ethan and Isaac sniffed the air.

“There were three other people with Derek,” Isaac said. Scott let his wolf senses take over just like at Michelle’s murder scene.

“Isabel and Kate were here, but I don’t know the third scent,” He focused on the unknown scent, closing his eyes. Braeden relaxed, setting the shotgun on her shoulder and watching Scott.

“What’s he doing?” Isaac asked.

“Focusing on the scene,” Ethan said. “Finding out what happened here. Focus all your senses and you’ll see what happened too,” Ethan crouched, touching the carpet. “There was fear here. Fear for someone else,”

“Hatred,” Isaac added.

“Derek hates Kate with a passion,” Chris explained. “She used him to get close to the Hales so she could kill them. He’s hated her ever since,”

“So would I,” Isaac said. Braeden quirked a brow and nodded in agreement.

“Same here,” Scott opened his eyes and the two more experienced wolves seemed to focus on the area between the living room and kitchen.

“What the hell was that?” Ethan asked.

“There was a Valkyrie here with Kate,” Scott told the others. “And they have scents in their human form. That’s the other scent I was picking up,”

“We need to find them. And fast,” Chris said. “If Kate took them both, I have no doubt that she’s planning on killing Derek,”

“Do you think Danny would be willing to track Isabel’s phone?” Stiles asked.

“We can ask,” Ethan said. “He already knows about werewolves,”

“We know. He figured it out when he did that paper on the telluric currents,”

“Scott, he asked us to keep him out of our antics,”

“I know, but we need his help,”

 

Danny opened the door, surprised to see Ethan standing there.

“Ethan?”

“Hi,”

“What are you doing here?”

“You don’t happen to have company over do you?”

“It’s seven o’clock in the morning. I know werewolves sleep,”

“Sorry. But we really need your help,”

“Ethan,” Danny sighed. “Come back in a couple of hours,”

“It can’t wait a couple hours, Danny,” Scott and Isaac joined Ethan on the doorstep.

“McCall? Lahey? What are you two doing here?”

“You’re the only person I know that can help us,” Danny sighed before motioning for Ethan, Scott and Isaac to come into his house.

“What do you need?”

“Derek and his girlfriend, Isabel, are missing. We think a Hunter and a Valkyrie took them. What we know about this Hunter, we are pretty sure she’s going to kill Derek,”

“And Isabel?”

“The Valkyrie want her for some reason. We think they’re going to kill her, too,”

“And you want me to hack into something,”

“We just need you to track her cell phone,” Ethan said. “We found Derek’s but we didn’t find hers,”

“We’re hoping hers is still on her. If we can track her phone, maybe we can find them before it’s too late,” Danny looked at the three werewolves, contemplating. He could see how desperate Scott seemed to be. He’d never known Scott to go back on his word. He then sighed, realizing he couldn’t say no.

“What’s her number?” he finally asked.

 

Derek slowly returned to consciousness. His first thought was of Isabel. Before he realized that he was shirtless with his arms pulled upwards and he was shackled to a metal fence, much like in South America when the Calaveras caught him and Peter.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Kate said. She was sitting in a chair with her feet propped up on a table. The table held a very familiar sight for Derek. A large black voltage box sat in the middle of the table, wires leading from it to the fence. Derek cursed under his breath, knowing what that meant. “That’s right, Derek. You know exactly what this is, don’t you?” Derek set his jaw. “Aww, are you giving me the silent treatment?”

“I’m not going to tell you anything,”

“You can always howl for Scott again,”

“I didn’t howl for him the first time,”

“No, but you answered,” Derek’s eyes searched the room, trying to figure out where he was. She’d chosen a different location this time. He knew this was not the tunnel beneath the Hale house that she used the last time. He listened, hearing three heartbeats. He inhaled trying to find Isabel. “Looking for your girlfriend?” Kate took her feet off the table. Derek glanced in her direction. His shirt was laying on the table next to the voltage box. “She’s nearby,” At that moment, he heard Isabel’s pained gasp. Derek growled, his fangs extending. “Oh, there they are. For a moment I thought you forgot how to use them,”

“Come closer and I’ll show you how I use them,” Kate tsked.

“You know, I’ve heard a lot of interesting stuff that’s gone on in Beacon Hills since I left again. Like you becoming Alpha. Raising a pack, only to lose that pack to Deucalion’s,”

“I didn’t lose them all,”

“Oh no. But the surviving one defected to Scott, didn’t he? And you no longer have the eyes of an Alpha, now do you? You have the eyes of a Beta who took an innocent life. How does one go from an Alpha back to a Beta?” Derek didn’t answer. “Wait, Omega,”

“I’m _not_ an Omega,”

“Just so you know, running with another Omega doesn’t make you a pair of Betas,” Kate tuned the dial on the voltage box just as another cry came from Isabel. The anger began flaring and Derek felt it give him strength. But before he could break free, Kate turned on the box, sending electricity into the metal of the fence and into his body. Derek gave a cry, the anger turning into pain. The current cut off after a couple of minutes and Derek sagged, panting. He glared at Kate. “There’s that look I love on you,”

“Screw you,” Kate chuckled.

“You have. And it was great,” Derek growled and pulled at the shackles restraining him. “Ooo, I see you still have that anger. You mean the new girlfriend hasn’t softened that part of you yet,” She turned on the current again, Derek again giving a cry. The electricity cut off and Derek flashed his eyes.

“I won’t give you what you want!”

“Oh I think you will. Eventually. But first, I want Peter and Scott. Come on, I know Scott wouldn’t let you in his pack. Scott doesn’t trust you from what I’ve heard,”

“Who have you been talking to?”

“I’ve heard rumors, sweetie. I heard that you were an Alpha but when I returned, I saw that wasn’t true. Those twins I saw running through the woods gave me good target practice,” Kate looked up at him. “Did they survive?” Derek only glared at her. “I hate to break it to you, but you can’t kill me with looks,” Isabel screamed. Derek roared.

“Let her go! She doesn’t know anything!”

“I would if I could, but that would be one of Vincent’s people in there with her. See, he promised to kill Araya and her Hunters if I gave him Isabel. She’s really pissed off the Valkyries at some point, so she’s good as dead,”

“You’re just going to hand her over? Because she’s dating me?”

“Pretty much,” She placed her hand on the knob to turn the electricity on again. “Now tell me how to find Scott,” Derek took several breaths to steel himself. One of a wolf’s first instincts was to protect his Alpha. And it was one of the strongest instincts one had. Derek wasn’t going to be the first wolf to betray his Alpha.

“No,” The current went through his body and this time he howled in pain.

 

“There,” Danny pointed at the screen on his computer. “They’re in the warehouse district. At least her phone is,”

“Isn’t that where that rave was?”

“I think so,”

“Isn’t that where Allison’s mom tried to kill you?” Scott sighed. Danny raised a brow.

“Why did she try to kill you?”

“Because I was dating her daughter,”

“I thought she committed suicide,”

“She did,” Isaac answered. “Derek bit her protecting Scott,”

“So she killed herself because of a bite?”

“She didn’t want to become a werewolf,”

“I think I’m more confused now,” Scott dialed Chris during the exchange.

“Danny tracked her phone to the warehouse where the rave that we tried to corner Jackson at was held. We’ll meet you guys there,” Scott hung up. “Thank you so much for doing this. I owe you,”

“Well, we were even,” Ethan kissed Danny’s forehead.

“Thanks, Danny,”

“Be careful,” Ethan smiled before he followed Scott and Isaac, the sun peaking over the horizon.

 

Isabel glared at the Valkyrie, her eyes glowing. Her hands were above her head, tied to a hook that dropped down from the ceiling.

“Just give in, Isabel,”

“You know I can’t. Vincent knows I can’t,” He trailed the knife down her cheek.

“Can’t? Or won’t?” She heard the crackle of electricity and Derek’s pained cry.

“He doesn’t know! Stop torturing him!”

“That’s all Kate. Vincent promised to kill the Hunters trailing her, but once she saw your lover, she had a few ideas of her own. You should know by now that you can’t be close to anyone or anything. Vincent will always take that away from you. Just like he’ll take Hale away from you,” She heard a growl. “We may let you watch her kill him. Or maybe Kate and Vincent will kill him together. While you watch. Before he kills you,” Isabel pulled on her restraints. “Fight all you want. It won’t change anything,” Isabel then gave a loud, high pitched scream with the undertone of an eagle’s cry out of frustration and fear for Derek. Right before the Valkyrie hit her in the back of the head.

 

Scott punched the wall and gave a roar of frustration. Ethan was holding Isabel’s phone. It had been planted at the warehouse to throw them off the trail and losing valuable time.

“They must have known her phone was on her,” Stiles said. Scott gritted his teeth as the bones in his hand mended.

“Will Kate kill Derek right away?” Kira asked. Chris shook his head.

“She’ll want information first,”

“Like what?” Malia asked.

“Scott,” Stiles said. “She’ll want Derek to give up Scott and Peter,”

“He’ll never give up Scott,” Chris said. “The instinct to protect his Alpha will be too strong. Even with a born werewolf,”

“Once she realizes that he won’t betray the pack, she will kill him,” Scott said.

“We’ll need to split up and find them. Meet back at my apartment,”

 

“Sheriff!” Stilinski turned to see Parrish running towards him. The sheriff had gone to his office to keep his deputies from wondering where he was and to keep Rafe from becoming suspicious that something supernatural was going on. He also wanted to see if the dispatcher had gotten in any unusual calls. Nothing had come through out of the ordinary and nothing that matched Derek or Isabel’s descriptions. It was late afternoon by the time he’d left.

“Parrish, go home,”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I want to help,” Stilinski knew he must have overheard him talking to the dispatcher.

“What’s going on is way over your head. Hell, it’s way over mine,”

“So was taking on a couple of demon ninjas and being one of three survivors,” Stilinski sighed.

“What do you know about Beacon Hills?”

“I know it’s not a normal town. And I really don’t care that it’s not,”

“You may be the only person I trust with this,” Stilinski glanced around to make sure they weren’t going to be overheard. “Derek and Isabel are missing and we have no leads,”

“How long?”

“Since yesterday,”

“Why hasn’t a missing persons report been filed? You don’t want McCall to know about this?”

“Get in and I’ll tell you what we know,”

 

Chris had a map of Beacon Hills spread over his desk. The pack, Braeden, Stilinski and Parrish were standing around it.

“How much did Sheriff Stilinski tell you, Jordan?”

“You think that Kate Argent kidnapped Derek and his girlfriend to get information out of him about his son’s best friend and Derek’s uncle. He’s sure that Derek won’t do this and that Kate will kill him once she realizes he won’t,”

“What have you noticed about Beacon Hills?”

“Aside from demon ninjas, a high murder and animal attack rate and the fact that deputies have a short life span?” Malia bit her lip to keep from laughing. Braeden looked amused.

“Aside from that,”

“This ain’t a normal town. I knew that the moment I set foot here. So what’s really going on?”

“We only have time for the crash course. Beacon Hills is a beacon for the supernatural. Kate is my sister and a werejaguar. She’s wants Derek to give up Scott and Peter because she used to be a werewolf hunter and Peter was the one that turned her into a jaguar. Derek won’t give up Scott because he’s an Alpha werewolf. Derek’s Alpha,”

“And once Kate realizes that Derek isn’t going to give up his Alpha, she’ll kill him,”

“Yes,”

“What does Isabel have to do with this?”

“She’s being hunted by Valkyrie who want to kill her,”

“Oh. So what’s the plan to find them?” Parrish leaned over the map. Stilinski raised his brows in surprise. Scott and Stiles looked at one another.

“Wow,” Peter commented. “He didn’t even bat an eyelid or ask a million questions,”

“I can ask questions later. We need to find Derek and Isabel now,”

“I like him,” Braeden commented.

“I’m going to take that as a compliment,”

“Can we focus, please?” Chris said as he pointed to a spot on the map. “She had Derek once about two years ago. She held him under the Hale house for a few days. She won’t go there again. We’ve already searched the warehouse district,”

“Which means they could be anywhere,” Parrish said. “Beacon Hills isn’t small,” He looked over the map. “Beacon Hills National Bank is a good place to look,”

“So is the power station where Barrow used me to jumpstart the nogitsune,” Kira added.

“Derek’s loft,” Stiles said. “Nobody would expect it,”

“Stilinski, Peter and I will look at the bank. Stiles, Kira and Scott, look at the power plant. Lydia, try to use your Banshee abilities to see if you can find them. Take Malia and Braeden with you. Ethan, Isaac and Parrish, check Derek’s loft and the industrial area around it,”

“Let’s go,”


	12. Search Party

Isabel came to, finding herself tied to a chair this time. She pulled on the restraints holding her wrists to the arms. The ropes didn’t budge. Isabel looked around and spotted a table with a large black box with dials and wires running from it. Her eyes followed the wires to a metal chain link fence. Then she saw Derek. He was shirtless and looked exhausted, his wrists shackled to the fence above his head. His head was bowed.

“Look, Derek,” Kate said from her right. “Your girlfriend’s awake from her nap,” Derek’s head rose and he looked at Isabel. He then dropped his eyes.

“Just let her go,”

“Are you going to give me Scott or Peter if I do?”

“I can’t give them to you,”

“Then I can’t let her go,” Kate moved towards Isabel and Derek pulled on his restraints. Kate grinned. “Now that’s sweet. Are you going to protect her from over there?”

“Leave her alone! Torture me all you want but leave her alone!”

“She has no idea about us, does she?”

“I know you’re Derek’s psychotic ex who murdered his family,” Isabel retorted.

“Is that your pillow talk? Do you talk about how his family died? Do you talk about all the bad romantic choices he’s made?” Isabel only glared at Kate. “Do you even know everything?”

“I know enough to know I want to kill you,”

“Honey, you can’t kill me,”

“History can repeat itself,” Kate chuckled.

“She has no idea, does she?” Her eyes began to glow a bright green.

“Don’t!” Kate shifted and then growled in Isabel’s face. Isabel’s only reaction was to roll her eyes.

“I’ve met a few wolves, but I have to say you’re my first jaguar,” The look on Kate’s face was priceless. “I know a little more than you think I do,”

“That must be why our mutual friend wants you so bad,”

“You do realize that Vincent won’t keep his side of whatever deal you made with him. Once he has me, he’ll either betray or kill you,”

“Is this your way of trying to convince me to let you go?”

“I know him a hell of a lot better than you, Kate. And trust me, he won’t keep the Calaveras off of you. Or any Hunter for that matter. He won’t kill them for you. He will leave you high and dry and surrounded by them. If he doesn’t hand deliver you to them himself,” Kate only laughed and went to the box on the table. Derek tensed as she reached for a knob. “You know the drill, Derek,” He set his jaw and gave her a look filled with hate. She turned the knob and the electricity surged through the fence. Derek gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut. He gave a cry and his body arched from the fence. Isabel pulled at her restraints.

“Stop it!” she screamed. “You’ll kill him!” Her eyes glowed as she spoke. Kate cut the power, giving her an amazed look. Derek sagged and panted.

“Oh, you know a lot more than you say,” she said. “What are you?”

“Really pissed off!” Kate picked up a cattle prod and started to walk towards Isabel.

“No!” Derek cried. Isabel could tell he was weakening as he struggled against the shackles.

“Derek, it’s okay,” Isabel said softly. Derek shook his head. “I want you to close your eyes,”

“No!”

“Just close your eyes,”

“Aww, she doesn’t want you to watch,” Isabel only smiled, her eyes continuing to glow. Derek had a horrified look on his face.

“Do it for me. Trust me, Derek,” Derek listened and heard no fear in her heartbeat. He reluctantly closed his eyes as Kate turned on the prod. “Bring it, bitch,” Derek could hear the prod contact Isabel’s body and a moment later a bright flash that he could see through his eyelids filled the room, much like in his loft the night Kate killed Araya’s Hunters and tried to kill him. He heard a scream and then a thud. He pulled on the shackles. The light faded and he felt something touch his wrist.

“You can open your eyes now,” His wrist was freed from the shackle as he did so. Kate was out cold on the floor, the cattle prod a foot behind her on the floor. Isabel’s eyes were still glowing as she freed his other wrist. She steadied him and led him to the table, where she helped him into his shirt. She sat him in the chair as she stole Kate’s jacket.

“How did you…?” Isabel pulled the jacket on, covering the midriff baring racer back top.

“It’s what I was going to tell you before she rudely interrupted. I’m obviously not human. I never was. But we need to get as far away from here as possible before she wakes up or Vincent comes to claim his prize,” She helped Derek to his feet and draped his arm around her shoulder.

 

The two ran as fast as Derek could. His body was slowly regaining its strength. He was at the point where he didn’t need Isabel’s help. He suddenly stopped.

“Wait,” Isabel turned worry in her eyes. Derek doubled over, his hands on his knees.

“What's wrong?” She gently touched the claw marks on his left bicep. “Why aren't you healing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Werewolves heal as quickly as Valkyries. This hasn’t even started to heal,”

“You knew?” he asked, looking up at her. “About me? You know what I am?”

“I knew from the moment I met you. It’s a talent of mine. I knew all of you weren't human. Well, except Stiles. I just haven’t quite figured out what Lydia is yet,”

“All of us?”

“Derek, the whole reason I came to Beacon Hills was to find Talia,” Derek straightened, suddenly looking suspicious.

“You came looking for my mother?”

“I came looking for the respected and powerful Alpha my mother told me about,”

“Why?”

“For protection. I'm hunted by my own kind. I didn't come here looking for a lover. I'm not Kate or Jennifer. Everything between us is real, even if my being human was a lie,” Isabel took his face in her hands. “I promise to tell you, all of you, the truth. But we have to get out of here before Kate or Vincent finds us,” They started running again. Derek suddenly heard wing beats and all five of the Valkyries cut off their escape.

“Isabel,” a man with eyes glowing bright green said, stepping forward. “You should know by now, I will always find you,” Derek heard her heartbeat quicken as she took a step back. Isabel was afraid of him.

“Who is that?” Derek asked.

“Vincent,” Isabel put her hand on Derek’s stomach, pushing him back. “Run!”

“You can’t run from me!” Derek and Isabel ran through the woods, heading for the Hale house. The light was fading quickly. The Valkyries once again cut off their escape. Isabel’s eyes glowed. Vincent scoffed.

“Please, Isabel. You’re not as strong alone as we are together,” a male said. The female landed in front of Derek. Isabel and Derek stood back to back.

“Just give this up,”

“No,”

“Isabel, stop fighting it. It’ll happen. Join us and I won’t have to kill you. Or him,” Derek gave a low growl.

“Oh, such pretty eyes,” the female said, spinning a dagger around. “Such a shame that we’ll have to close them,” Isabel felt the anger surge and she spun around, pulling Derek back and bringing her left hand down. The female yelped and hopped back, her hand going to her face. Blood seeped through her fingers and she pulled her hand away. Four deep scratches marred her cheek. A moment later, the wound healed. Derek glanced down at Isabel’s hand just as what looked like claws retracted. “You’re going to pay for that,” she growled. Isabel answered by flipping into the air and kicking her in the face. She flew back and hit a tree. Derek and Isabel backed away.

“Derek, you’re going to have to run,”

“I’m not leaving you,” She caught sight of a long stick and kicked it into the air so she could catch it. “You can’t fight them off with a stick,” The stick suddenly began to ripple. A moment later, she spun a quarterstaff around and went into a defensive stance. Derek looked at Isabel, realizing at that moment why the Valkyrie wanted her so bad. Two of the males attacked and Isabel expertly fought them off. The other two Valkyries attacked as Derek transformed. He knew they couldn’t fight them on their own. He took a deep breath and howled.

 

Chris pulled his Explorer into the alley beside Beacon Hills National Bank. The bank had been abandoned for several years, since a robbery forced it to close its doors. It had recently been used to hide a pack of Alphas, keep Boyd, Erica and Cora from feeling the full moon for four months and would have been the scene of Deaton’s murder had Scott and Stilinski not figured out that the Darach would keep him there. And it was the first time that Scott’s eyes briefly turned red for the first time anyone saw. It made him wonder how many times that had actually happened. Peter broke the handle off a door and he, Chris and Stilinski entered. Peter inhaled.

“Can you pick up Derek’s scent?” Chris asked.

“Well, he’s been here before. His scent will linger here for a little while due to it being abandoned. I’m picking up a faint scent,” They moved deeper into the bank, Peter using his werewolf senses to see if he could sense his nephew, the two humans visually searching. By the time they reached the vault, they’d had no sign that anyone had been in here since Deaton’s attempted murder.

“He’s not here,” Peter said. “It’s a dead…,” All three heard a howl. Peter stopped, listening.

“What was that?” Stilinski asked.

“It’s Derek,” Peter bolted out of the vault.

“Peter!”

“How can he tell that was Derek?”

“That was the howl of a wolf in distress. The pack will know where to find him. Come on,” By the time Stilinski and Chris exited the bank, they heard a long and loud shriek and Peter was nowhere to be seen.

 

Stiles pulled up to the power plant in his dad’s car while Scott and Kira arrived right behind him on Scott’s bike. Scott smelled the air.

“I don’t smell either one of them,”

“Kate either?”

“No,”

“Maybe the scent is stronger inside?” Kira asked. Scott and Kira started to head inside.

“Wait,” Stiles suddenly said.

“What?”

“You do realize that Kate will be like a kid in a candy store in here, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Hunters love using electricity on werewolves. This,” he motioned to the building. “Is an all you can eat buffet to Kate! And she wants you,”

“I’m not going to abandon Derek,”

“Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for him?”

“If I have to yes! He’s my Beta, my responsibility! And he’s my friend,” Stiles looked at Scott.

“And that’s why you’re a True Alpha. No wonder you guys are so rare,” Scott turned to go into the building when they heard a howl. Scott spun around.

“Derek,”

“How can you tell?”

“I just know!” Scott sprinted to his bike, Kira jumping onto the back with him.

“Where is he?”

“The Preserve,” Scott revved his bike and sped off as a shriek followed.

 

Isaac, Ethan and Parrish searched through the buildings around Derek’s loft.

“I’m not picking up Derek’s scent anywhere,” Isaac said.

“Neither am I,” Ethan confirmed.

“So it’s another dead end,” Isaac sighed.

“Yeah,”

“Can you guys explain the Alpha thing to me?”

“What’s to explain?” Ethan asked. “Scott’s the Alpha. It works the same as in a wild wolf pack. The Alpha leads, the rest of the pack follows,”

“So Derek won’t give up Scott because Scott’s his Alpha,”

“Actually, Derek can’t give up Scott,” Isaac said. “The instinct to protect him is too strong. If Scott had bit Derek, then it would be stronger,”

“So you have to be bit by a werewolf to become one,”

“Not necessarily,” Ethan said. “Aiden and I were born werewolves. So were Derek and Peter. Scott and Isaac were bit by Alphas,”

“So you two can’t bite me and turn me into a werewolf,”

“Not anymore,” Ethan said. “Last year I could but not anymore. Only Alphas can make new werewolves,”

“You were an Alpha?”

“Yeah. My brother and I were nearly killed and we had to give up our Alpha spark in order to survive,”

“That sounds like a story I’d like to hear later,” They heard a howl and the two wolves attention immediately went to it. “What is that?”

“It’s Derek. He’s in trouble,” Isaac took off.

“Let the others know we went to help him,” Ethan bolted after Isaac as a shriek filled the air.

“Oh, that’s not unnerving at all,” Parrish muttered.

 

Lydia, Malia and Braeden were walking through the woods on the old Hale property.

“Why are we here?” Malia asked.

“I don’t know. I just have a feeling that I needed to go to the Nemeton,”

“You don’t know what you’re doing?” Braeden asked.

“I haven’t exactly been a Banshee very long. I didn’t even know I was one until Jennifer called me one last year,”

“Who’s Jennifer?”

“The Darach. She called me a Banshee right before she tried to strangle me,” Braeden didn’t respond, instead looking over the area around them. “Do you have Derek’s scent, Malia?”

“I know it but I don’t smell him,” They approached a large stump. “That had to have been a big tree,”

“It was,” Malia suddenly cocked her head to the side. “What?” Malia held her hand up, listening. “What do you hear?” Lydia whispered.

“Wings. It’s really faint. But it could just be a bird,” Lydia listened too, hearing the whispers that came with being a Banshee. Braeden listened as well, raising the shotgun slightly. The scars on her cheek and throat stood out in stark contrast t her dark skin and slightly unnerved Lydia. “Not birds. I hear shouting,” Malia sniffed the air, taking a couple steps forward.

“They’re here,” Lydia said. “They’re in the Preserve,”

“It’s not small,”

“No kidding. It’ll be like looking for a needle—,” Braeden cut off when they suddenly heard a howl, fairly close.

“That was a werewolf,” Lydia said before taking off in the direction of the howl, Malia and Braeden following her. They came upon five creatures with black wings, Isabel and Derek fighting them. Braeden immediately aimed the shotgun. While Derek was using his claws, Isabel had a quarterstaff. Lydia was impressed with her skill, but it wasn’t enough. She watched as one of the male creatures cut Isabel’s quarterstaff into two and she screamed as the blade cut into her.

“I can’t get a clear shot without hitting Derek or his girlfriend,” Lydia knew she had to do something and quickly.

“Malia, cover your ears,”

“What? Why?”

“Just do it!” Malia covered her ears and Lydia took a few steps forward. She then took a deep breath and shrieked.

 

Isabel screamed in pain and staggered backwards, her quarterstaff now in two and a gash from her shoulder and across her chest. She went down to a knee, pressing an arm against her wound. One of the males raised his sword to finish her but Derek slammed into him. The force sent the Valkyrie flying and staggered Derek backwards. As the wound on her chest healed, Isabel spun the two halves of the quarterstaff around, the pieces rippling until she was holding two swords. Derek helped her to her feet.

“We can’t keep this —,” A shriek sent all of them to the ground. Derek threw his hands over his ears and falling to his knees, the Banshee scream causing him a lot of pain due to his highly sensitive hearing. Isabel recovered first and she slammed her sword into the chest of one of the wreathing males. He gave a loud, high pitched scream with the undertone of an eagle’s cry. The rest of the Valkyries slowly began to regain their footing as Malia helped Derek to his feet, Braeden moving in front of them, the shotgun slung over her back and a combat knife in her hand. Isabel twisted the sword before kicking the Valkyrie off and backing towards Derek, Malia and Braeden. He fell, unmoving. Derek listened, focusing on the fallen Valkyrie.

“Is he dead?” Malia asked.

“What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” The Valkyrie were backing off. Isabel spun the right hand sword around before going into a defensive stance. Braeden moved next to her.

“Where are the others?”

“I’m assuming they’re on their way,”

“Well, they better hurry,” Vincent looked down at the dead Valkyrie.

“Another death on your head, Isabel,”

“At least this one I don’t mind,” Vincent looked past Isabel.

“Is this your pack, Hale? A coyote and a Banshee?” He then looked Braeden over. “Hiring a mercenary that works both sides isn’t very smart. Offer your bodyguard enough money and she’ll turn on you,”

“I already have a contract. I only work one contract at a time,”

“Pity. Maybe I should have hired you to bring me Isabel,”

“Too late now,” Vincent then looked Malia up and down.

“I didn’t think any of the Hales were coyotes. I thought you were all wolves,” Malia growled.

“I’m not a Hale,”

“So they don’t claim you. It must be a shame to have a powerful werewolf family not acknowledge you. Oh, wait. The Hales aren’t a powerful family any more. Not when the only ones left are a powerless psychopath and a weak former Alpha,” This time Derek growled. “A pity that your entire pack is nothing but ashes,” Derek roared. One of the males suddenly went flying into a tree.

“I wouldn’t exactly say I’m powerless,” Peter said before calmly joining Derek and Malia behind Isabel and Braeden. “And I resent being called a psychopath,”

“Well, at least we know your uncle didn’t abandon you. A pair of Omegas, defending each other. That doesn’t make you a pack,”

“No, it doesn’t,” Vincent turned around to see a fully transformed Scott. Kira, Isaac and Ethan stepped out from behind the trees behind him. “And they aren’t Omegas,”

“A little young to be an Alpha aren’t you?” Scott didn’t answer. He only roared and charged, Isaac, Ethan and Kira behind him. Isabel, Braeden, Derek, Malia and Peter charged from the other side. The Valkyrie and the pack collided, the air filling with snarls, roars, growls and steel. Vincent took flight and out of the middle of the fray. Isabel followed him. Vincent gave the same loud, high pitched, eagle undertoned scream. The Valkyrie spread out.

“Do you really think they’ll protect you?” Isabel swung at Vincent and he kicked her in the chest, knocking her several feet away. “When the death of one of their own will be because of you,” His sword became a throwing dagger and he sent it into the fray.

“No!” Derek saw the dagger heading towards Scott’s back and shoved him out of the way, taking the dagger to the stomach.

“Derek!” Vincent gave a scream and the Valkyries took flight. Scott caught Derek as he fell, going to his knees. “Hang in there, Derek!” Isabel scrambled to him as he pulled the dagger out of his stomach.

“No, no, no, no, no,” she whispered.

“We have to get him to Deaton,” Peter said. Derek shook his head.

“I won’t… make it,” he whispered.

“Don’t you dare talk like that!”

“It’s… not… healing,” Scott took some of Derek’s pain. “Isabel,”

“Don’t talk. I made a promise to you and I’m keeping it!” Isabel grabbed the discarded dagger and sliced open her palm.

“What are you doing?” Braeden asked. Isabel didn’t answer as she lifted his shirt. She squeezed her palm and her blood flowed out her wound and into Derek’s.

“I can’t lose you. Not after all the crap we just went through,” Tears were blurring her vision. “Hang in there,” Derek’s eyes closed and she grabbed his face. “Derek?” Derek didn’t move. “Derek!”


	13. Miracle

Isabel was leaning against the wall watching Deaton work.

“How many times was the electricity used on him?” Scott asked.

“I’m not sure. Several times from what I could hear. She only hit him with it once when we were in the room together,”

“What did Kate want with both of you?” Stilinski asked.

“Vincent convinced her that he would get the Calaveras off her back. I think he told her he’d kill them for her,”

“Will he?” Chris asked. Isabel shook her head.

“He never keeps his word. And he doesn’t give second chances. Kate is as good as dead to him now. You saw what they did to Jared and the other wolf that escaped from Derek,”

“Were the other murders, the kid and Martin Williams, were they killed by Vincent?” Stilinski asked.

“Or all five,”

“You knew all this time?” Scott asked.

“I suspected but I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t until one of the wolves told Jared that someone wanted me alive after they caught me that I realized that Vincent sent Romero and his pack after me. Hunters killed Romero and Derek killed three of his pack. The Valkyrie did the rest,”

“Why did the Valkyrie want Derek?”

“They didn’t. Kate took it on herself to take him too. She probably figured he’d track me down anyway. I think he wanted Derek’s Alpha,”

“You knew he was a werewolf,”

“I knew you were, too. From the moment I met you. Both of you. I just wasn’t sure which one of you was the Alpha,” Isabel looked at Scott. “I realized it was you when you made Jared back down with just your stance and voice,”

“She’s good,” Stiles said.

“I also know Stiles is the only one in your pack that is human,”

“Do I just give off the “I’m completely human” vibe?”

“You just don’t give off the “I’m a supernatural” vibe. Sensing another supernatural is one of my talents. Werewolves, kitsunes and coyotes I can sense right away. Others it takes time to figure out,”

“I don’t know what you did, Isabel,” Deaton suddenly said. “But it worked,” Isabel gave a breath of relief.

“What exactly did you do?” Scott asked.

“My blood has a healing property to it. I’ve done it with countless humans, but it’s the first time I did it to a wolf. I wasn’t even sure if it would even work,”

“But you did it anyway,” Kira said. Isabel nodded.

“Risk and reward,” Scott said, remembering what Coach Finstock had once said in economics class. Isabel looked at Scott.

“I hoped the reward outweighed the risk. I risked that it wouldn’t work in hopes that it would,”

“What are you?” Chris asked. Isabel looked at Derek. The dagger wound already looked smaller now that his healing process had finally triggered.

“I was going to tell him the night that Kate took us. I promised him when we got out of that I would tell him the truth,”

“All of you don’t need to be in here watching Derek heal,” Deaton said. “Everyone but Scott and Isabel, go wait in the waiting room,” Stilinski chuckled.

“You heard the doc. Let’s go,”

  


Parrish was standing outside, leaning against Stilinski’s car.

“Overwhelmed yet?” Stilinski asked, leaning against the car beside him.

“I just had a confirmation about Beacon Hills I suspected for a while. The fact that we have werewolves and Valkyries and Banshees running around… Takes a little bit to really sink in,”

“Yeah. When we were having the sting of murders last year, I was at the end of my rope. It was after Tara died. Stiles comes to me with Derek’s sister, Cora, telling me there was something he needed to tell me. He used a chess board to try to explain. I think Cora came along to help Stiles convince me that everything he was saying was the truth. I really hadn’t believed a word that came out of his mouth since he started talking,” Parrish chuckled. “So you can imagine what was going through my head. I think Cora was going to shift to show me that werewolves were real, but she fainted and we ended up taking her to the hospital. And trust me werewolves and hospitals don’t really go together,”

“I’m sure,”

“Stiles was still trying his hardest to convince me that everything he said was true. I didn’t believe him. I thought it was just too far-fetched. Stiles and Cora had told me that the killer was a dark Druid. They called it a Darach, but they didn’t know who it was. But they did tell me their theory that the Darach had been attacked and left for dead. I will admit I yelled at Stiles about him wasting my time. He used his mother against me,”

“What did he say?”

“‘Mom would have believed me.’ I knew I had to look into what he and Cora had told me. Melissa helped me find what I was looking for. About this time, I had a call at the school about one of the teacher’s being killed by a snapping piano string. I don’t know how I ended up in the classroom in time to save Lydia, but I found out that night that everything Stiles had said was true. Especially when Scott showed up all wolfed out,”

“Wolfed out?”

“It’s what Stiles likes to call it when the wolves do a full transformation,”

“Oh. Has Scott always been an Alpha?”

“No. The first time I saw him in his wolf form he was what they call a Beta. He had golden eyes. I was told that Scott’s the rarest of werewolves, a True Alpha,”

“How rare are they?”

“Once in a century rare. Deaton explained that a True Alpha is a Beta that rises to Alpha by his character, morality and sheer willpower. Derek was there that night and witnessed the whole thing. The Darach, a woman named Julia Baccardi, who was going by the alias of Jennifer Blake, had used the ash of a tree called Mountain Ash to protect herself from the werewolves,”

“Wait, Jennifer Blake? The teacher that went missing? And why Mountain Ash?”

“Yeah, turned out she had been left for dead by one of the Alphas in this pack of Alphas and she was sacrificing people to gain power so she could destroy them,”

“How does that work?”

“What?”

“A pack of Alphas,”

“No idea. Ethan might know. He was a part of it. As for the Mountain Ash, most supernatural creatures can’t cross it. It’s like a barrier of some kind. I think Lydia is the only creature that can,”

“So what is Lydia?”

“Stiles says she’s a Banshee. She can sense when someone is about to die. She was perfectly normal until Peter bit her. Stiles said his bite didn’t turn her, but it didn’t kill her. They thought she was just immune to the bite but it seemed to have triggered her Banshee abilities,”

“So Peter was an Alpha?”

“I think so,”

“Ethan told me that only Alphas can turn people into werewolves,”

“Um, I think so. I’m still really confused about all this most days,”

“Peter was an Alpha once, yes,” The two police officers looked up at Chris. “He bit Scott the night you found part of Laura Hale’s body. I’m not proud to say we used her remains to lure Derek back to Beacon Hills,”

“Why?” Parrish asked.

“At the time, I was a Hunter with the code of ‘We hunt those that hunt us.’. We were sure he knew who the Alpha was that we were hunting. Derek has never killed one of us. He’s never killed a human. Not since reaching adulthood,”

“What do you mean?”

“Derek has steel blue eyes when he’s transformed, not the normal yellow like Scott had. A wolf only gains that when they’ve taken an innocent life. Personally, I don’t think he took that life on purpose. But we also aren’t sure if the life he took was werewolf or human. Kate, on the other hand, broke that code on several occasions. Starting with Derek’s family,”

“So she did start the Hale fire,” Chris nodded.

“It’s also why any quip about his family riles him. That fire killed eight people and left only three survivors. No four, I keep forgetting about Cora. Peter was so badly burned that it took him six years to heal. Derek and his older sister, Laura, weren’t home at the time. Something that saved their lives. Derek never told me how Cora survived. He’d spent six years thinking she was dead until he found her in the bank vault being held captive by the Alpha pack,”

“How does one become an Alpha?” Parrish asked.

“With the exception of Scott, by killing another and taking the power or from inheriting it. From what I understand, Laura became the Alpha after Talia was killed in the fire. Peter killed her and became the Alpha before biting Scott and then going on a killing spree. Scott, Derek, Allison, Stiles and Jackson managed to stop him, saving my life in the process. Derek killed Peter and became Alpha,”

“So if Derek killed Peter…,”

“I have no idea how. Allison thought that he’d somehow used Lydia’s Banshee abilities to resurrect himself but she never gave me the details. From what I understand, Derek sacrificed what made him an Alpha in order to save Cora’s life. Which put him at a disadvantage against the Alpha pack. Betas don’t have a very good chance against an Alpha,”

“And Scott became the Alpha after Derek,”

“By pure willpower and moral character,”

“So what really happened with all the events leading up to the sheriff station being attacked by demon ninjas?”

  


Derek’s eyes opened slowly and he reached for the wound that he took for Scott.

“Welcome back to the land of the conscious,” Deaton said.

“How…?” Derek started to ask. His skin didn’t have a mark on it. “It wasn’t healing,”

“You have Isabel to thank for that,” Scott said, taking Derek’s hand and helping him sit up. Derek then leveled a look at Isabel. Isabel dropped her eyes.

“We need to talk. Privately,”

“Can you stand? Because outside will be the most privacy we’re going to get with the entire pack and their allies in the clinic,” Scott helped Derek off the exam table and Deaton handed him a sleeveless shirt. Once Scott saw he wasn’t going to fall over, he released him and Isabel and Derek went outside. Braeden was leaning against the building watching Stilinski, Parrish and Chris as they were talking.

“Go inside,” Isabel said. “I’ll explain everything to everyone in a minute,” The three men and the mercenary went inside. Chris hesitated a moment at the door. He could see the anger in Derek’s eyes. Derek nodded at him and Chris went inside.

“You couldn’t have told any of us? We’ve been scrambling for months trying to figure out what we were dealing with when you could have told us at any time,”

“Well, for starters none of you even asked if I knew anything! You were more concerned with protecting me from Romero’s pack than to even think that I could possibly have known about the Valkyrie. You should have realized that I knew more that you thought I did when I told you I knew Romero was a wolf,”

“After Michelle’s death, you should have told us then!”

“I was trying to protect you! I tried to tell you that being with me would only get you hurt. And it almost got you killed. Twice!” Isabel stepped away from him. “You’re angry because I didn’t just volunteer a secret about myself?” She turned back to Derek. “When you didn’t trust me enough to even tell me what I already knew,”

“Because people around me get hurt when they know,”

“People like Paige? Jennifer?”

“How can any of us trust you now that we know you’re one of them?”

“I’m not one of them!” She flashed her eyes. “I’m not the one killing people! Have you not noticed a major difference between us by now?”

“Isabel, I watched you turn a stick into a quarterstaff and then turn the two halves into a pair of swords. Not to mention you suddenly sprouted claws,”

“Talons,”

“What?”

“They’re talons, not claws,”

“Whatever they are, you share the exact same qualities as them,”

“I’m not killing people, Derek! I never have killed anyone with the exception of the Valkyrie I killed to protect you!”

“I don’t even know who you are, Isabel. If that is even your name. I don’t even know if I can trust anything you have ever said. How can I know that you didn’t use me, too?” Isabel’s jaw set and she turned and went back into the building.

“Chris, I have a new entry for your bestiary,” This caused several looks among the others.

“So you do know about these things?”

“I know a lot more than your Emissary does,”

  


The whole crew gathered around the exam table, Isabel in the middle flanked by Deaton and Scott. Derek leaned against the far wall with his arms crossed.

“You’re well aware that you’re dealing with Valkyries,” Isabel said. “The reason that the Argents, or any Hunter for that matter, know nothing about them, is because they didn’t become a nuance until recently. Valkyries were warriors once. It’s where the legends about them talking slain warriors to Valhalla started. Over time, they faded into legend and when religions began to charge, they became angels to those that took up the Christian faith. The Valkyrie kept the balance much like the Druids do. Shortly before I was born, something changed. More and more Valkyrie started to use their gifts to do evil things. You’re aware that they can literally turn anything into a weapon. But what you don’t know is how to slow them down and stop them,”

“Electricity seems to work,” Kira said.

“True. It does slow them down considerably. You’re aware that a Hunters favorite tool against wolves is electricity?” The wolves nodded.

“Very aware,” Peter said, glancing at Derek.

“They use electricity on werewolves because it not only slows them down, but at certain watts will keep them from healing, transforming or even takes away their strength. It works the same way on a Valkyrie. Another way to slow them down is with nightshade,”

“How much will it slow them down?” Chris asked.

“Nightshade to a Valkyrie is like wolfsbane to a werewolf. And just like Nordic Blue Monkshood will kill a wolf fairly quickly, Crimson Nightshade does the same for a Valkyrie. And it’s just as rare,”

“So if we used the nightshade against the Valkyries, we can slow them down?” Ethan asked.

“Even more so with the Crimson,” Isabel added.

“We don’t happen to have Crimson Nightshade, do we?” Scott gave Braeden a look. “What?”

“Is there any way we can defeat them without resorting to poisoning them?”

“And there he goes with being blandly moral again,” Peter snarked. Isabel shook her head.

“The four of them that are left are too far gone down their path that there is no way to save them. Once their eyes go green, it’s too late. There’s no turning back from what I understand,”

“How do you know all of this?” Stiles asked.

“You seriously haven’t figured it out yet?” Derek asked. Isabel gave Derek a look.

“I have a suspicion that Lydia may have been right the entire time,” Scott said.

“The reason I know so much about the Valkyrie, Stiles, is because I am one,”


	14. Battleground

The room became quiet. Almost everyone, with the exception of Derek and Lydia, had a surprised look on their faces. Lydia gave Scott an “I told you so” look.

“You’re a Valkyrie?” Stiles asked. “How is that even possible? You don’t even have the right eye color,”

“That’s because I’m not a Dark Valkyrie. I’m a Pure Valkyrie. And the last one might I add. We have blue eyes. If we turn Dark, they turn green,”

“Vincent said you weren’t as strong alone as in a group,” Derek said. “Do groups of Valkyries work the same as a wolf pack?”

“Mostly. When grouped together, they can be stronger. Even with me killing one of his Valkyrie, he’s no weaker than he was beforehand. But even if the two of us went toe to toe he’d still be stronger than me,”

“Because he’s their leader?” Scott asked.

“No, because he’s just more powerful than me. How bright or dark our eyes are announces how powerful we are,”

“His eyes are bright green,” Malia pointed out. Isabel flashed her medium blue ones.

“My power is nowhere near his,”

“Okay, I’m still having trouble grasping the fact that she is a Valkyrie,” Stiles said, earning a slap to the back of the head from Derek. “Ow!” Isabel sighed and pulled off her jacket, turning away from the group. She was still wearing the black racerback top. It was the first time most of them had even seen her tattoos. As they watched, they started to move and then seemed to grow from her skin. A moment later, a pair of pure, snow white wings extended from her back. She folded them and turned back to the others.

“Happy now?” Stiles mouth was hanging open.

“Yeah, she’s definitely not one of them,” Lydia remarked. Derek’s face was unreadable.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” Chris suddenly asked. “In Derek’s loft,”

“I came looking for Talia. My mother had told me if I ever needed sanctuary from the Dark Valkyrie, I should go to Beacon Hills and meet with Talia Hale. She told me she was a powerful and wise Alpha. But when I arrived, I found the Hale house in ruins and heard about the fire that killed Talia and seven others. I found out her son was still alive and I tracked down Derek to his loft, but I saw the muzzle flashes through the window. I flew to the roof and watched through the skylight as Kate shot him,”

“Why were you at the loft?” Derek asked.

“I was hoping you were the Alpha. When I saw Kate was about to kill you, I couldn’t stand by and watch,”

“The light?”

“It’s something only a Pure Valkyrie can do. Actually, it’s really not that common among the Pure Valkyries. It’s like a complete shift in a wolf,”

“Like Talia and Laura?”

“If they could shift completely into a wolf, than yeah,”

“That’s rare, isn’t it?” Stiles asked.

“Not as rare as a True Alpha but yes,” Peter answered.

“But how did you know to bring him here?” Deaton asked.

“We’ve met before, Doc. I was here with my parents and brother when I was eight. I looked through Derek’s phone after he passed out and saw your name,”

“That’s why I couldn’t catch your scent,” Derek said. “In the loft,”

“And why I didn’t catch it here,” Scott added. “Or now,”

“I don’t have one in my Valkyrie form,” Isabel’s wings retracted and she returned to her human form, pulling the jacket back on. “You found that electricity hurts us, but it will also force us out of our human form. I only had enough control to keep my wings from extending, but not from keeping my eyes from turning. When I asked you to close your eyes, Derek, I didn’t want to blind you when I used my light against Kate,” Isabel turned to Lydia. “Your scream hurts us as much as it does a wolf. Because I was in my human form I was able to recover quicker,”

“So what do we do now?” Scott asked.

“We need to lure them somewhere where they won’t hurt any of Beacon Hills’ residents,”

“The Preserve is the only place far enough from the residences,”

“The school seems to be a popular place for epic showdowns,” Stiles said sarcastically.

“We need a map,” Scott said.

 

Isabel took a turn much too fast, the back end of the Mustang crossing over into oncoming traffic. Luckily, they chose a time of night where there was not much traffic. She punched the gas and shifted gears again. In the rearview mirror, she could see Vincent and the other Valkyrie in pursuit. Her phone was on its holder, Scott’s face on the screen.

“They’re right behind me. Are you guys ready?”

“Ready enough,” The Mustang raced towards the Preserve, crashing through the chain that was meant to keep people out of it at night.

“You better be because I’m almost there,”

“I hear you,” The screen went blank and Isabel slammed on her breaks, jumping out of the car and sprinting towards the others. Isabel slid to a stop, one of the swords from their earlier fight in her hand.

“So they used you as the bait,” Vincent scoffed. “Didn’t you learn the first time that we’re stronger?”

“You may be stronger than me, but I have friends this time,”

“Not for long,” Vincent looked over the others. “I’m afraid you’re on the losing end of this game,” Derek roared. Vincent Screamed and Isabel led the attack. Snarls, growls and Valkyrie Screams filled the air, along with the sounds of steel against steel. While all the wolves and Malia were fully transformed, Peter was in partial wolf form. Ethan stuck close to him, knowing he was the weakest of the pack, as he was still unable to fully transform. Isabel’s eyes glowed as she fought.

 

Lydia and Stiles stayed behind at the clinic with Deaton, Scott and Isabel insisting they not tag along. Stilinski and Parrish had gone back to the sheriff’s station to intercept any dispatches involving a recklessly speeding midnight blue Mustang. Stiles was pacing, checking his phone every couple of minutes.

“Will you stop pacing,” Lydia said. “You’re making me nervous,”

“Will this work? How will this possibly work? Derek almost died last time,”

“Because Derek had been weakened,” Deaton said. “He wasn’t able to heal like he should because of the torture Kate put him through. Isabel was correct about electricity. It keeps a werewolf from healing as quickly. That’s why it took Derek longer to join Scott in fighting Peter the night he and Kate originally died,”

“Why does everyone like going after Derek?” Lydia asked.

“Because of who his mother was. Talia was the most respected and most powerful Alpha around before Deucalion was attacked by Gerard and blinded,”

“Why does that not surprise me?” Stiles said sarcastically.

“It didn’t surprise me either. Deucalion was warned but he wanted peace. Afterwards he became more powerful than Talia after his anger caused him to kill his entire pack and convince Ennis, Kali and the Twins to do the same to their packs,” Deaton looked over at Lydia, concern on his face. “What is it?” Lydia had a horrified look on her face.

“We need to go to the Preserve,” she whispered. “We need to go now,”

“We can’t fight them,” She looked at Stiles.

“They can’t either,”

“What are you sensing?” Deaton asked. She looked at Deaton.

“Someone’s going to die,”

 

Isaac roared and threw a Valkyrie away from him. Scott slammed into another, slashing his wing. Malia avoided a sword, her full coyote form allowing her to move quicker than her human form. Peter slammed into the Valkyrie, Ethan raking his claws down Vincent’s back. Derek rolled, trying to avoid the female Valkyrie, the wound on his thigh instantly healing. Vincent started to head for him, Kira intercepting him. Braeden ducked from a sword from a male, swiping her combat knife across his stomach. The Valkyrie doubled over. Isabel slammed into Vincent, giving a Scream. The two grappled before he tossed her aside like she was a doll. She rolled and was instantly back on her feet. Before she could move back into the fight, a sword was plunged into her back and out her lower chest. She gasped and the color seemed to drain from Derek’s face.

“Isabel!” The sword was retracted and Isabel instantly covered the wound with her hand. She then turned and shoved the blade into her assailant’s throat. The female Valkyrie had a look of shock on her face. Isabel let go of the sword and staggered backwards. She and the other Valkyrie collapsed at the same time. Vincent grinned.

“I told you that you were on the losing end,” He gave a Scream and the surviving Valkyrie retreated. Derek rushed to Isabel, who was gasping for breath, blood coming from her mouth.

“Isabel!” He cradled her, instantly trying to take away her pain.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “It’ll be all right,”

“No, it won’t,” Derek’s voice was grief filled. “We have to get her to Deaton. He’ll know how to heal her,” Isabel’s breaths came in gasps.

“Derek…,” He placed his hand on her cheek.

“Don’t do this. Don’t let them win,”

“They…,” she coughed. “They…,” Isabel’s eyes closed and she went limp.

“No,” Derek whispered. “No,” Lydia, Stiles and Deaton suddenly ran into the clearing. Lydia had a look of horror on her face. Derek listened but couldn’t hear her heartbeat. He pulled her close to him. “No!” Grief showed on Peter’s face. Isaac lowered his head. Kira’s hand found Scott’s. Lydia turned and buried her face into Stiles’ shoulder. Braeden looked down, seeing the pain that Derek was in. Ethan’s face remained emotionless. Derek suddenly gave a long and loud, grief filled howl.


	15. Valkyrie

The clinic was deathly quiet. The pack sat in the waiting room. Stiles stood against the wall, not saying a word with his arms around Malia. Malia had her head against his chest, her tears wetting his shirt. Lydia sat in a chair, tears streaming down her face. Kira sat next to her, an arm around her, trying to comfort her. Ethan and Isaac sat on the floor against the far wall. Neither one knew Isabel that well, but they felt Derek’s loss. Chris had retreated outside, not wanting to see Derek’s pain and be reminded of his own. Braeden had gone outside as well, but gave no reason as to why. Deaton, Peter, Scott and Derek were in the exam room, Isabel’s body lying on the exam table covered with a sheet. Derek was sitting in a chair, his elbows propped on his knees and his chin rested on his fists. He stared at the floor, completely numb with tears in his eyes. None of them spoke. Peter refused to leave his nephew. Scott and Deaton wouldn’t leave the two alone together. Derek felt as if his heart had been ripped from his chest. He had thought he would die from heartbreak when he killed Paige but this, this was the worst heartbreak he’d ever felt. Even Kate and Jennifer’s betrayals didn’t hurt this much.

“You don’t have to stay in here with me,” Derek whispered. Scott placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Yes we do,” Scott whispered.

“How…,” Derek bowed his head, placing his forehead against his fist. “How did you go on after Allison?”

“I… I really don’t know,”

“He had his pack,” Peter said. “He had you and Stiles. Isaac, Lydia, Kira. And a cause,” Peter knelt down in front of him. “We have to finish this for Isabel. You didn’t let Allison’s sacrifice be in vain, don’t let Isabel’s be,” Derek shook his head.

“I don’t know if I can,” Peter then realized that Isabel hadn’t just been a fling like Kate and Jennifer. He thought he’d loved them. Peter could see the look on Derek’s face. The same look he wore the night Paige died, only intensified.

“You loved Isabel, didn’t you?” Derek didn’t answer. “More than anyone,” Derek nodded. Peter placed a hand gently on Derek’s knee. “I haven’t seen you like this since Paige. And I haven’t seen you look like this since Boyd’s death. Isabel’s not here anymore to keep Vincent and the other two from killing any more people. I have a feeling they’re not going to just stop and leave,” Peter drew an invisible spiral on Derek’s leg. “Isabel was a part of you. She was your heart. Even after we learned she lied about herself, I could see through that mask of anger. You were willing to look past it because she was our pack,” Scott looked at Peter. “You’ve just lost the only woman who could break through the walls that you built to protect yourself from the pain that life keeps throwing at you,”

“He’s right, Derek,” Scott said. “We can’t let them win. Not now,”

“They tore apart two wolves, nearly killed me and killed a Pure Valkyrie. Maybe more. How do we stop them?”

“They can be killed,” Peter said. “Isabel killed—,” He suddenly cut off and all three wolves suddenly looked at the exam table. “Tell me I wasn’t the only one who heard that,” Derek had a surprised look on his face.

“What are you hearing?” Deaton asked.

“A heartbeat,” Scott said. “It was faint,” The wolves listened. Several minutes went by. Derek suddenly stood, followed by Peter. Scott pulled the sheet from over Isabel.

“Look,” Derek said. Isabel’s wound seemed to be slightly smaller. “How is this possible?”

“It’s just like Noshiko,” Scott suddenly said.

“Who the hell is Noshiko?” Peter asked.

“Kira’s mom. When we were trying to find a way to save Stiles, she told us the story of how the nogitsune came to Beacon Hills. She was shot when some of the people in her internment camp rioted. She focused all her energy on healing that it slowed her heart rate down. They thought she was dead and were going to burn her with the others to hide what was done,”

“Do you think that’s what Isabel is doing?” Deaton asked.

“Maybe,” Derek moved to Isabel’s side. “Her heart’s starting to beat a little stronger,” Derek took Isabel’s hand.

“Isabel?” he whispered. Deaton couldn’t believe what he was watching. He’d never seen anything like this. Isabel’s chest began to rise and fall. Peter and Scott looked at one another before moving next to Deaton. Isabel suddenly gasped, her eyes shooting open and glowing a bright blue. Derek looked over at the others not quite believing what he was seeing.

“Derek,” she gasped.

“I’m right here,” Her hand went to her wound, which was now completely gone.

“How? What? Where?” Scott and Peter gaped. The surprise showed on Deaton’s face.

“I… I don’t know,” Derek placed his hands on her face. “Is this real?” Isabel reached up and wiped away the tear that finally fell.

“It feels real,” She looked over at the others. “Why is everyone looking at me like that?”

“Aside from the fact you were dead about fifteen minutes ago?” Derek gave Peter a dirty look.

“I was dead?”

“Please tell me that was sarcasm,”

“The last thing I remember is the pain and looking up at Derek. How am I here?”

“You died in Derek’s arms,” Scott said. “You killed the female Valkyrie that followed Vincent. You were trying to tell Derek something,”

“They won’t win,” Isabel whispered. She looked at Derek. “What color are my eyes?”

“They’re still blue,”

“But?” Deaton handed Isabel the metal lid off one of the canisters. She took it and looked at her reflection. “Holy hell!” The lid fell from her fingers and Derek caught it. “How in holy hell is that possible!?”

“I haven’t a clue,” Deaton said.

“Didn’t you say the brighter the Valkyrie’s eyes, the more powerful they are?” Scott asked. Isabel nodded. “Your eyes are as bright as Vincent’s,”

“I never thought we’d both be as powerful as our parents,”

“Wait,” Peter said. “Did you just say ‘our’?” Isabel seemed to realize her slip.

“Crap,”

“No more lies, Isabel,” Derek said. “We need to know everything,”

 

Stilinski nearly dropped his phone.

“What?” Parrish looked up. “How?”

“ _We’re not really sure_ ,” Stiles answered on the other end over speakerphone. “ _Dad, everyone saw the Valkyrie run her through. And she died in Derek’s arms. None of our super hearing friends could hear a heartbeat either_ ,”

“So she just raised from the dead?” Parrish asked.

“ _Something like that. She’s still freaking out about it,_ ”

“I bet,”

“ _We’re working on a new plan. And we’re going to need your and Jordan’s help_ ,”

 

Everyone had gone from the animal clinic to Scott’s house. Isabel was sitting on the couch between Deaton and Derek. Scott sat on the arm of the couch next to Deaton. Lydia and Malia sat in an oversized chair, Peter leaning against the arm on Malia’s side. Stiles’ elbows were propped on the back of the chair. Ethan and Isaac were leaning against the wall while Kira sat in the second chair. Melissa, Chris, Stilinski and Parrish stood in the middle of them, while Braeden leaned against the opposite wall, closest to the window.

“You’ve been going blind for months because I didn’t know if I could trust anyone enough to reveal who I am. Or what I am. My family was the last of the Pure Valkyries. When I was about eight, my parents brought my brother and I here so they could speak with the Alpha of the Hale pack,” Isabel looked at Derek. “Your mother. My parents knew of the Nemeton here and my mother could feel that it still had a tiny spark of power, but not enough to be the beacon it once was. Talia and her Emissary were warned that the Dark Valkyries could come and no one would be safe from them. A strong pack, like the Hales, could combat them if the need arose,”

“The Dark Valkyrie must have known this,” Ethan said.

“Yes, but they wouldn’t come knowing both Hunters and wolves lived here,”

“Kate took care of the pack,” Chris said. “Why didn’t they come seven years ago?”

“Because the Argents were still a powerful family of Hunters,” Isabel said. “The Dark Valkyrie were content on hunting us down. My father fell holding them off so my mother could escape with my brother and I. Vincent’s heart grew angry, thinking our mother could have done something to save him. She was extremely powerful, the most powerful of all the Valkyries,”

“Wait a minute,” Isaac said. “Their leader is your brother?” Isabel nodded.

“Yes. Vincent allowed that anger to turn his heart and he attacked Mom. She used the light burst to escape with me, but Vincent had injured her so badly that she couldn’t heal. I was sixteen. Vincent was nineteen. Mama told me not to stay in one place very long as I was now the last of the Pure Valkyries. She also told me if I ever needed protection from Vincent and the Dark Valkyrie to return to Beacon Hills and seek out Talia Hale and Alan Deaton. That I would be safe with them,”

“That is why you applied for the job at the clinic,” Deaton said.

“Yes,”

“Where does Romero and his pack come into play?” Derek asked. “What’s their connection?”

“A moment of weakness on my part. I was well aware that Romero was a wolf when I met him. One of our abilities is to be able to recognize another supernatural. I actually made the mistake of telling him what I was and that I knew what he was. And I stayed in Tuscan for far too long. I thought I loved him. But Romero betrayed me to Vincent. It was Romero’s Alpha, Alphonso, who helped me escape from Vincent. I was badly injured when Romero attacked me and Alphonso submitted Romero. He hid me with his Emissary, who happened to be a doctor at the hospital there. I never got his name. The Emissary helped my healing process and he and Alphonso helped get me out of Tuscan. It was the Emissary who suggested that I head to Beacon Hills, that he heard that a powerful Alpha lived there. I actually thought he meant Talia, not Scott,”

“I’m not exactly powerful,”

“But you’re a True Alpha. That’s power in itself,”

“A True Alpha that doesn’t exactly know what he’s capable of yet,” Braeden said. “No one really knows what True Alphas can do,” she added when half the room looked at her with a questioning look.

“Romero was a Beta when you dated him?” Stiles asked.

“Yeah. He had to have killed Alphonso and stole his Alpha spark. And he was still working with Vincent,”

“You’re the very last of the Pure Valkyries?” Melissa asked. “Are you certain?”

“Pretty certain. Mama said most of the others had turned Dark and those that didn’t were hunted down and killed,”

“Wait,” Malia suddenly said. “They think you’re dead, right?”

“Most likely. Yeah,”

“We can use that to our advantage,”

“How?” Stiles asked.

“Under the ruse of revenge,” She rummaged through her bag and brought out a pen and notebook. Malia opened to a random page and drew a spiral. She held it up so the others could see it. “We need to find out where they’re hiding,”

“I like the way she thinks,” Braeden commented.

“And make them believe that Isabel is really dead,” Kira added.

“Scott, I may need to bring your dad in on this to help,” Stilinski said.

“Fine,” He looked at Isabel. “Is there any way you can track down where they’re hiding,” Isabel looked at Ethan.

“I may need your friend’s help,”

 

“Seriously, guys?” Danny asked. “Again?” Parrish straddled a chair.

“Look, kid, these people have killed five innocent people. Well, technically three, but five people are dead because of these Valkyries. If we don’t find them and stop them, they’ll kill again,”

“So you’re saying this is life or death?”

“Yes,” Isabel said. “Look…, Danny, right?”

“Yes,”

“Vincent has been behind the most recent string of murders. The wolves can’t track them because they have no scent. They have killed their own kind, almost killed Stiles, Kira, Derek and me. If we don’t find them and quickly, I cannot guarantee they won’t go after Scott and the rest of his pack, just for fighting for and with me,” Danny glanced at Ethan, then at Parrish. Parrish held up a scrap of paper.

“This number was found on three wolves’ cell phones. We think it might be Vincent’s. If you can track it, it would be very helpful,”

“This isn’t entrapment, is it?”

“Hacking into the cell phone will not be held against you. You have my word on it,”

“I’ll need time,”

 

“Can you explain to me now why a Jane Doe was identified as Isabel Sullivan?” Rafe asked Stiniski.

“Shut the door,” The FBI field agent did so. “You were right about these murders. It was a supernatural killer,”

“What was it?”

“They were Valkyries,” Rafe raised a brow. “There were five of them. Isabel has since killed two of them, but was killed in the process,”

“If she’s dead, then why is some random Jane Doe being referred to as Isabel?”

“Because Isabel is still alive after all,”

“Okay, I’m confused,”

“All these murders have connections to her because they were using these people to draw Isabel out of hiding. She’s one of them,”

“She’s a Valkyrie? Why would they want to kill their own kind?”

“Because she’s different than them and they’re threatened by it,”

“And Isabel wants to make them think that she’s still dead,” Stilinski nodded.

“Yeah. The pack is trying to think up a new plan that hopefully won’t get anyone killed,” Stilinski rubbed his forehead. “They lost Allison and Aiden due to the last supernatural threat. I really don’t think these kids will be able to handle another loss in the pack,”


	16. Ambush

Malia’s phone binged and she picked it up, seeing she had a text from Stiles.

 _Still working on a plan._ Malia hit Reply, then stopped. She’d been thinking about how Vincent had referred to her as a Hale. She looked in her mirror, trying to find the resemblance to Derek and Peter. The only thing she could find was they shared the same dark hair, although they had black hair and she had brownish blond. They also had lighter color eyes than she did. But they were shape shifters like she was, but neither could fully transform into a wolf like she could a coyote. Although she had heard that Derek’s mother and older sister had the ability. Her eyes fell on the photo of her family. She didn’t exactly look like the rest of her family either.

_Can I ask you something?_

_Sure._

_Why would Vincent call me a Hale?_

_Are the Tates related to them?_

_I really don’t know. I can ask for you if you want._

_Could you?_ Malia’s thumb hovered over Send. Did she really want him to ask? Derek hadn’t tried to deny or confirm it. She hit Cancel. She heard her father making a lot of noise in the kitchen and went to see what he was doing. Three empty beer bottles were sitting on the table, two more were laying by the trash. Mr. Tate was sitting at the table working on a bottle of Jack Daniels. He looked up when Malia stopped in the doorway.

“What do you want?”

“I heard a lot of noise. I was just checking to see if you were okay.”

“I haven’t been okay in eight years.” Malia knew it had to be the alcohol talking. “I thought I lost my family for eight years. And then the sheriff comes in here opening up old wounds,” He downed a glass and then poured more. “And then he drags you here. I want my wife and daughter back!”

“You have one daughter back.” Mr. Tate snorted.

“I have someone else’s daughter back.” Malia froze.

“What?”

“I have someone else’s unwanted daughter in my life.” Tears began to form in Malia’s eyes. “You ran and hid for eight years. You couldn’t come back to Beacon Hills and tell people what happened. You had to hide like the little brat you are! No wonder your parents didn’t want you!”

“How can you say that? You’re my father!”

“I’m not your father!” Mr. Tate threw the glass at the wall, pieces of glass shattering everywhere. “I never was!” Tears streamed down Malia’s face now and she turned and ran from the kitchen, slamming the door to her room. She grabbed her book bag and gym bag, stuffing what she needed into it. She wasn’t going to stay with someone who didn’t even want her here to begin with. She passed by the kitchen with her bags.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Anywhere but here.”

“Where are you going to go? Nobody wants you,” He grabbed her gym bag. Malia’s claws flicked out and she scratched his cheek. Mr. Tate’s eyes widened and his hand went to his face. Malia adjusted her gym bag.

“Don’t touch me again,” she sobbed. “Don’t ever talk to me again!” Malia slammed the front door on her way out.

 

Stiles opened the door to find Malia standing there with her book and gym bags, tears streaming down her face.

“Malia, what’s wrong?” He took her gym bag and led her into the house. She dropped her book bag and buried her face into Stiles’ chest.

“He’s not my father,” she said, her voice muffled. “He said I wasn’t his daughter,” Stiles led her to the couch. “He was drunk, but there was no upticks. He wasn’t just saying that.”

“Oh, crap. Perfect way to tell the only family you have left is actually adopted. He sure had perfect timing.”

“Why would he say that to me?” Stiles texted Scott while Malia cried into his shoulder.

_We have a Malia crisis at my house. Bring Derek._

_What’s going on?_ Scott texted back.

_Mr. Tate told her she was adopted._

 

Derek drove Scott over to Stiles’ house.

“Why now?” Derek wondered out loud.

“I don’t know.”

“Vincent called her a Hale. Like he knew who she really was. Malia didn’t believe him.”

“She probably does now. Which means Stiles must have known what Vincent said to Malia. He asked that I bring you.”

“Telling her that she is a Hale will only cause her a bigger shock,” Scott nodded. “And we need her to stay focused. Mr. Tate shouldn’t have told her she was adopted.” Derek parked behind Stiles’ Jeep and the two went into the house.

“Good. You’re here,” Stiles said. “I didn’t know what to tell her.”

“What happened? Why did he tell her?”

“He was drunk. You do realize today is the anniversary of the accident?”

“Crap.” While Scott and Stiles were talking, Derek sat on the couch next to Malia.

“Was Vincent right?” she asked. “Am I your sister or something?”

“You’re not my sister, Malia, but it’s possible you are a Hale.”

“How did Vincent know?”

“Because you look like my mother when she was your age.” Malia buried her face into Derek’s shoulder.

“Why? Why was I adopted?”

“I don’t know.” It wasn’t a lie. “But the pack needs you. We’re your family. And I promise to find out why you were given up for adoption.” Scott’s phone suddenly rang.

“Hello?” He listened for several minutes. “I’ll meet you there,” He hung up.

“What?” Stiles asked. “Danny traced the cell phone number Jordan gave him. Isabel and Peter came up with a plan.”

 

Vincent was leaned forward, deep in thought. Isabel had killed two of his followers. The two remaining Valkyries were now arguing with each other.

“We should finish off that pack. At least kill Hale to keep him from coming after us.”

“We kill Hale, then his entire pack comes after us.”

“His pack is a hodgepodge of supernatural creatures. It’s not a true pack.”

“They have an Alpha werewolf, it’s a true pack.” Vincent finally had enough.

“Will the two of you shut the —,” Screeching metal suddenly sounded from the other side of the abandoned warehouse. Vincent jumped up and headed towards the sound. Carved into the metal door was a spiral. Vincent sighed and opened the door. To find a fully transformed Derek standing outside. He roared.

“So, you have a vendetta against me? Over a girl?”

“She wasn’t just a girl,” Derek growled. “She was my pack.” Vincent snorted.

“A Valkyrie in a wolf pack. That’s new,” Derek pointed at Vincent.

“You and me.”

“Is that a challenge, Hale?”

“It is.”

“Name the time and place, wolf.”

“The school. At midnight.”

“So you think that fighting me in a place you know will work to your advantage.” Vincent pretended to think. “Only the two of us?”

“Only us.”

“Fine. I’ll accept your little challenge.”

“Good.”

 

Stilinski joined the others in the parking lot.

“The school’s completely clear. No teachers or janitors.”

“Good,” Scott said. “I don’t want any collateral damage or any innocent lives lost.”

“None of us want that,” Isabel said. She was still in her human form but was wearing the same racerback top as the night she told everyone the truth.

“Let’s get into our places,” Peter said.

“Get these cars moved,” Stilinski said. He turned to Derek. “Good luck.” Derek nodded before turning and hopping into the Beacon Hills High School sign. At exactly midnight, Vincent approached the school. Just as Derek expected, the two remaining Valkyries trailed behind him.

“Is this your definition of only us?”

“Did you really think I’d come alone?”

“Afraid I could possible beat you in a fair fight?”

“You have claws and fangs. How is that fair?”

“You have talons, wings and an ability to turn a stick into a sword. I think that’s fair enough.”

“Unfortunately for you, you stuck to your rules,” Derek smirked.

“Who said I did?” Scott walked out from behind one side of the sign, Peter from the other. Both of his fellow werewolves’ eyes were glowing. “I was pretty sure you’d bring your pets.”

“Well played Hale. But I fear you’ve still underestimated me.”

“We’ll see,” Derek, Scott and Peter roared before they attacked.

 

“Go!” Derek shoved Peter towards the school, he and Scott following. Once they were inside, Peter doubled over.

“The guard dogs have a bite to them,” he panted. Scott peaked out the window in the door.

“Here they come.”

“Good. Go. I’ll draw them closer to the others,” Scott and Peter darted down a hall. Derek stepped back as the three came through the door. Vincent smirked and gave his Scream. Derek took off down the hall.

“So you wish to play cat and mouse, Hale?” He motioned for the other two to go down the halls on either side. “Then let’s play.” Vincent ran down the hall after Derek.

 

The Valkyrie walked calmly down the hall. He turned a corner and heard a snarl. In the middle of the hallway was a coyote. The Valkyrie rolled his eyes.

“Stupid coyote,” He started to walk towards Malia and she blocked his path, snarling and growling as she did so. “So you want to play, do you?” He spotted a pencil on the floor and picked it up. It rippled as he changed it. He spun the dagger around. Peter and Scott turned the corner as the Valkyrie slashed at Malia. Peter growled, his eyes glowing. Malia dodged several swipes before one contacted her side. She yelped and slid. The Valkyrie smirked and took a step forward. Peter roared and leapt forward before Scott could stop him. He landed in front of Malia, giving a loud and long roar, shifting completely for the first time since his resurrection. He didn’t taking the monstrous form from his time as an Alpha, but the form of his pre fire days. High cheek and brow bones, hair down his cheeks and jaw, bright blue glowing eyes, full fangs and claws. Peter tackled the Valkyrie, who fell and dropped his dagger. He slashed the Valkyrie with the anger of a father. The Valkyrie managed a swipe with his talons before Peter left a deep gash in his throat. Peter stood from the now dead Valkyrie, shifting back to his human form. He turned back to Scott and Malia, having been joined by Isaac.

“What the hell was that?” Isaac asked. Malia was back in her human form, covering herself with Scott’s jacket. Peter ignored Isaac and knelt next to Malia.

“I’m fine. It’s healing,” She then looked at Peter differently. “It’s you, isn’t it?”

“What?” Peter looked at Scott.

“You’re my father. That’s why Vincent called me a Hale. Because I am one.”

“Tate told her she was adopted.” She looked at Scott.

“You knew?”

“Look, we’ll explain everything later. Right now we have two more Valkyries to deal with.” Several shots rang out followed by a screech. “Or maybe just one. Sounds like one found Chris and Braeden.” Malia shifted back to her coyote form. The three wolves and coyote took off down the hall.

 

Derek lost Vincent and without a scent he couldn’t find him again. A minute later, he heard Peter’s loud and long roar. Several minutes after that he heard several gunshots and he knew one of the Valkyries had walked into Chris and Braeden’s trap.

“Clever, wolf. Very clever,” Vincent’s voice echoed. Derek activated his wolf vision. “So all this over Isabel?”

“Isabel, your mother and every other innocent life you’ve taken.”

“Ah, so you have finally decided to step up and take your place as your mother’s son,” Derek flicked out his claws.

“I’ve always been my mother’s son. At least I didn’t kill her.” He felt something behind him and he spun around. Vincent had a grin on his face.

“Did you not? I was well acquainted with Kate before she failed me. We both know that you are the real reason behind the fire. What did you think would happen when you climbed into a Hunter’s bed? When the naïve teenager you once were opened up to her?” Derek took a step back, the guilt he’d tried to keep buried rising. Then Derek growled, the guilt giving way to anger. “Do you really think you can hide behind the anger?”

“Yes,” Derek roared. Vincent Screamed. The two charged at one another.

 

Ethan was leaned against the wall, holding his chest. Chris knelt next to him while Braeden nudged the now dead Valkyrie with her foot. “Thanks for that,” The former Hunter helped the wolf to his feet. Ethan joined Braeden. “What did you two shoot him with?”

“Nightshade. Deaton made a couple clips worth.”

“And a few shells,” Braeden added.

“Nice.” They both heard a werewolf’s roar and then a Valkyrie Scream.

“Derek.” The three ran down the hall. They were the first to reach Derek and Vincent as the wolf slid down the hall on his back, slamming into a wall of lockers head first. He shook his head and rose to his hands and knees. Ethan roared as Chris raised his pistol and Braeden raised her shotgun. Vincent beat his wings, sending a powerful wind that knocked them off their feet. Chris’ .45 fell out of his hand as Braeden slid down the hall and rolled. Chris scrambled to his feet and reached for his gun. He was grabbed from behind and slammed into a wall, hitting his head hard.

“Chris!” The former Hunter went limp. Vincent took a step towards him and Ethan blocked his path, growling. Braeden was crouched in front of the fallen ally, her combat knife held in a defensive position. Derek sunk his claws into Vincent’s back and threw him over his head. Vincent landed on his stomach. Derek sprinted towards him as he stood, tackling him and going through a set of double doors. Braeden felt for a pulse as Ethan turned to check on Chris, breathing a sigh of relief when he heard a heartbeat.

“We need to get him out of here and fast,” the mercenary said.

 

Derek crashed out the double doors leading to the lacrosse field. He hit the middle set of stairs and rolled the rest of the way, breaking several ribs, his right hip and his left arm in two places on the way down. Derek wreathed in pain when he finally stopped rolling as the bones mended.

“You can’t beat me, Hale,” Derek gasped for breath as he rolled to his back, holding his arm close to his chest.

“I don’t… need to beat… you,” he said through clinched teeth.

“Oh, I think you do. I will take out your entire pack. Starting with you and ending with that pathetic teenager who somehow managed to become an Alpha,” Vincent extended his talons. “Give my sister a big screw you when you see her,” He raised his arm. Derek didn’t move, only looked at Vincent defiantly before giving a smug smile. A moment later, something slammed into Vincent, throwing him halfway across the field.

“How’s that for a screw you?” Isabel was crouched protectively in front of Derek, pure white, iridescent wings extended.

“Impossible,” Vincent whispered.

“Then check this out.” Her eyes glowed bright blue before she Screamed and attacked. The two grappled in a blur of wings and talons. Derek rolled onto his side, trying to rise. A hand grabbed his shoulder and he looked to see Peter.

“Argent’s hurt bad. Ethan, Isaac and Braeden are taking him to the hospital,” Scott appeared on the other side of Derek and the two helped him to his feet, the broken bones nearly completely healed.

“Can you walk?” Scott asked.

“I think so,” Malia, in human form and fully clothed, and Kira exited the school and joined Scott, Derek and Peter. Vincent slammed Isabel against the school. Isabel began to glow and the wolves immediately covered their eyes. The glow turned into a burst of light that sent Vincent back several feet. Isabel staggered a moment before she attacked him again and he knocked her feet out from under her. They grappled before he pinned her to the ground and wrapped his hands around her throat.

“Isabel!” Derek cried. A shot sudden rang out. The pack turned to see Rafe holding his revolver with it aimed at Vincent.

“That’s not going to work, Dad!”

“According to Deaton it will,” Vincent staggered off of Isabel, the Pure Valkyrie gasping for breath. Vincent turned to Rafe and Screamed. Rafe fired another shot, hitting Vincent square between the eyes. Vincent fell backwards. “He said that what’s in these bullets is poison to them,”

“He gave you the nightshade bullets?” Isabel crawled over to her brother, Derek running towards her, his healing process complete. He knelt next to her and saw the tears on her face.

“Isabel,” He touched the bruises on her neck as they faded.

“I wish we could have saved him,” She turned and buried her face into his shirt. “I wish there was a way to save him,” Derek wrapped his arms around her and she clutched his shirt. All the pain and grief she’d held back overflowed and she sobbed into his chest, her wings sagging behind her.


	17. Desperate Measures

Danny walked out of school to see Ethan sitting on his motorcycle.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Danny stopped in front of Ethan. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to apologize for dragging you into our crap the other day. With the phone number.”

“Were you able to stop them?”

“Yeah.” Danny knew Ethan well enough to know when something was bothering him.

“What?”

“Chris still hasn’t woken up. Vincent slammed his head pretty hard into the wall.”

“What are they going to do?”

“We don’t know. They say he’s stable for now.”

“If there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”

“Thanks, Danny. But I think having your support will work for now,” Ethan straddled his bike.

“Are you going to come back to school?” Ethan shook his head.

“No, it was fun while it lasted but I’m not going back. It won’t feel right without Aiden,” Danny nodded.

“It was good seeing you again.”

“I’ll see you around,” Danny smiled and Ethan started his motorcycle, giving Danny a smile before riding off.

 

Melissa walked with Derek and Isabel.

“There hasn’t been any change in his condition,” she said. “But he’s stable.”

“That’s good, right?” Isabel asked.

“For now, but we don’t know if there is any brain damage. The doctors would like to do an MRI on him but they also want to make sure he remains stable.”

“Is there any way we can see him?”

“I can get you in there, since he doesn’t have any family left.” They headed towards Chris’ room. “If he doesn’t improve, would you turn him?” Derek shook his head.

“Chris wouldn’t want that. And Scott wouldn’t do it.”

“I thought you could do it. I mean you turned Isaac, Erica and Boyd.”

“I’m not an Alpha anymore. Only an Alpha’s bite can turn someone.”

“Oh,” Melissa pushed open the door. “I’ll be around if you need me,”

“Thanks, Melissa,” She smiled and turned away. Derek and Isabel went inside and saw a blond haired woman sitting next to Chris holding his hand. Derek growled and the woman looked up.

“Derek, don’t!” Isabel reached for his arm, but he’d already leapt towards Kate. He grabbed her throat and shoved her against the wall.

“What are you doing here?”

“He’s still my brother,” Isabel grabbed his arm.

“You can kill her later,” she said. “The hospital is not the place to do it. There’s too many people that will find out what you are. And it won’t be just Araya’s crew on your ass.” Derek didn’t budge. “Let her go.” He snorted and released her. Kate rubbed her throat.

“What happened?”

“Vincent slammed him against a wall in the school.”

“What was he doing there?”

“Helping me defeat him,” Isabel said. “I don’t know why you have such a vendetta against the Hales and werewolves, but drop it now. It only got you killed and turned, your sister in law and father killed. You’re a supernatural now. Deal with it!”

“Deal with it? Do you think I want to be a monster? To be a killer?”

“You don’t have to be a killer. You’re not a Hunter any more. You can’t just go around killing supernaturals anymore because you were brainwashed into thinking we’re the enemy, that we are as good as dead.”

“Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent,” Kate said.

“Nous protégeons ceux qui ne peuvent pas se protéger leurs-même,” Isabel answered. “That is Chris’s code now. He’s not a Hunter, he’s a Protector,” Kate looked at Chris.

“And he’s dying because of that code, just like Allison did,” Derek placed a hand on Chris’ arm and then grimaced, moving his hand away and looking down at his arm. The pain moved up his arm, visibly traveling through his veins before disappearing at the crook of his elbow. He and Isabel looked at one another.

“You don’t have the Alpha spark any more. If you do what I think you’re about to do, it can kill you.”

“I know.”

“You’re willing to kill yourself for Chris?” Kate asked. “Despite what we did to your family.”

“Chris had nothing to do with that. He didn’t even know it was you until the night Peter turned you. The fire and the hate was all you. You’re the one that continuously broke the code!”

“Can we save the lovers’ spat for later?” Isabel said. Derek turned and gave her a look. She glanced away and spotted a pen on top of the heart monitor. She bit her lip and looked back at Chris.

“What are you thinking?” Isabel moved over to the monitor, picking up the pen.

“I’m thinking of doing what I did to you when you were dying.”

“Will it work?”

“It works every time on humans I do it to, but they were usually dying from an open wound, not from head trauma.”

“What can I do?” Kate asked.

“You do realize neither one of us trust you,” Isabel answered as Derek glared at her.

“I get that. I burned his family alive and tried to sell you out. But Chris is the only family I have left,” She looked at Derek. “I understand now. What I did to you, Laura and Peter was wrong. Now I’ve lost everything, just like you did. Please let me help save my brother,” Derek and Isabel looked at one another. “Please.”

“This isn’t going to redeem you,” Derek said.

“I’m not looking for redemption.”

“Do you know how to do the pain transference?” Isabel asked. Kate shook her head. Isabel took her hand and pressed it against Chris’ arm.

“Ahh,” Isabel let go and Kate pulled her hand away, the pain traveling up her arm just like it had with Derek moments earlier. The pen rippled as it turned into a knife.

“You both will need to draw as much pain as you can without killing yourselves or screaming while I do this,” Kate moved to the other side of her brother. She and Derek placed both hands on Chris’ arms and began to draw out the pain as Isabel drew the knife across her palm and her eyes began to glow.

 

“No broken windows this time?” Melissa said with an amused look. Stilinski chuckled, leaning against the nurses’ station.

“No, just a couple of doors that need replaced, some dented lockers and some sod on the lacrosse field that needed replaced. They actually kept the damage to a minimum this time,” Melissa laughed.

“Surprisingly.”

“Yeah, considering this group tends to do a lot of damage to their surroundings,” He glanced up just as a blond woman he recognized walked by. “What the…?” Melissa followed his gaze.

“What?”

“That’s Chris’ sister. Kate!” She stopped and looked at him. Stilinski took a step towards her and she bolted off. The sheriff gave chase, but she was much too fast for him. By the time he reached the parking lot, she was nowhere in sight. Scott and Isaac were standing in the middle of the drive, looking at each other with amazed looks. Stiles was standing by the doors gaping. “Damn she’s fast,” Stilinski commented.

“Was that Kate?” Stiles asked.

“I think so. It looked like her.”

“What was she doing here?” Scott asked.

“I don’t know.” Scott suddenly turned as a Hispanic woman approached them. He pulled Isaac back.

“We haven’t seen Kate in some time,” she said. “This is the first glimpse we’ve seen of her. Where have you been hiding her?” Stilinski stepped between Scott and the woman, his hand on his service piece.

“You need to step back.”

“Kate’s not with us, Araya. You know that.”

“Do I? I catch a glimpse of her and see an Alpha and two of his pack nearby.”

“Back off, Araya,” Derek said from behind Stilinski. “Chris is still alive and the deal you made with him still stands,” Isabel moved into Stilinski’s line of sight.

“You should go after her instead of threatening the sheriff and this pack. They are not the threat here.”

“You’re wolves. I see several threats here.”

“I only see one.”

“Isabel,” Scott warned. Araya looked Isabel up and down.

“You should do what your Alpha says, Beta.” Amusement showed plainly on Isabel’s face.

“You should do what you came to Beacon Hills for. La Loba is getting away.”

“Leave now or I will have no choice but to arrest you for terroristic threatening.”

“Fine. You win. For now,” Araya turned and left.

“Holy crap, Derek. Are you okay, man?” Derek was leaning against the rail, looking like he hadn’t slept for days.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” Stilinski said.

“What did you do?” Scott asked.

“Why are you assuming I did something?”

“Because you look exhausted.”

“I broke every rib, my hip and my arm in two places during the fight. My body is still healing.” Scott gave him a look.

“We were seeing what we could do for Chris,” Isabel admitted, seeming to realize that Scott knew Derek was lying. “Kate actually helped. She was visiting her brother. That’s why she was here.”

“Did whatever you two do work?” Stiles asked.

“We don’t know yet,” Isabel said. “Only time will tell if it will,”

 

Peter opened his door to find Malia standing there. He stepped back and motioned for her to come in. Peter’s apartment was spacious. A window in the living room was covered in plastic. The living area was recessed with three steps leading down to a couch and three chairs arranged around a coffee table. A hall to the right led to the bedrooms and to the left was an open kitchen with a bar. Four stools were pushed under the bar.

“I know you came here looking for answers, Malia,” Peter started, motioning to the couch. “I’m afraid I don’t have much myself.”

“You didn’t even know, did you?” Peter shook his head.

“No, I knew my sister, Talia, took a memory from me. She died in the fire, so I was never able to ask her what it was or why.”

“Her claws were all that was left of her.” Peter gave her a look.

“How did you know that?”

“I watched Scott use them so Derek could talk to his mother.”

“Oh.”

“How did you find out about me?”

“I asked Lydia to listen to Talia’s claws. Her Banshee abilities allows her to listen to the whispers around her. It’s how she knows when someone is close to dying. She found out from the claws that I was a father. She used the information to get me to help her and Scott get into Stiles’ head to save him from the nogitsune.”

“You knew all this time that he wasn’t my father?”

“I wanted to tell you, tell Tate that you weren’t his. But in the end, I decided that you’d been through enough for me to give you that shock to your system.”

“So you don’t remember my mother or why I was given up for adoption,” Peter shook his head.

“No. And I don’t know why Talia took that memory away. I wish I did.”

“Why am I a coyote and not a wolf?”

“We have a saying, ‘The shape you take reflects the person you are’. I don’t know why you took the shape of a coyote. But I would like to be in your life,”

“I’d like that, Dad,” Peter chuckled.

“Now that’s going to take some getting used to,” Malia laughed. “Where are you living now? I know you left the Tate house.”

“With Stiles for now.”

“I have an extra bedroom. You can move in here.”

 

Derek pulled open the door to his loft. It was the first time he’d returned to stay since Kate’s attack. The floor was still covered with glass and wood pieces, along with water from the rain coming through the broken skylight.

“I’m going to have to get that fixed again,” he commented as he stepped into the loft. Behind him, Isabel stood in the doorway, a duffle bag on one shoulder and her computer bag on the other. Michelle’s parents had decided to sell their daughter’s house and told Isabel she had to find elsewhere to live. Derek turned towards her. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”

“Home,” Isabel repeated, as if she were testing a new word in a foreign language. “I like the sound of that,” Derek smiled and crossed back over to her.

“You don’t have to run any more. This is where you belong,” Isabel smiled, walking over to and setting her bags on the couch.

“I haven’t belonged anywhere in a long time,” She turned back to him. “It’s a good feeling,” Derek chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She touched her forehead to his. “But there is one last thing I need to tell you.”

“What?”

“My name. My real name.”

“Your name isn’t Isabel?”

“It _is_ Isabel. But my last name isn’t Sullivan. It’s Evans,” Derek chuckled.

“Any more surprises?” Isabel’s lips brushed against his.

“Only this,” she whispered before capturing his lips and running her fingers through his hair. Derek pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

“That’s a nice surprise,” he whispered. Isabel laughed, feeling truly happy for the first time since her parents’ deaths. Derek took her face in his hands and kissed her again.


	18. Know Thy Enemy

Scott opened the door to see Peter and Malia.

“What do you want, Peter?”

“I need your help. I want to talk to Talia,” Scott looked at Malia.

“Do you think she’ll tell you? About why she took that memory away? Do you not think she was protecting the two of you?”

“Scott, I didn’t even know I was a father until Lydia listened to Talia’s claws. Things may have been different. You might not have been dragged into this world.”

“Or the same things may have happened, only doubled from the rage of a father,” Peter looked at Malia.

“I see your point, but I still want to find out why.”

“Are you sure you want to know, Peter?”

“I deserve to know,” Malia answered. “I want to know why Aunt Talia pushed me away. I want to know if it was because of my being a coyote,” Scott sighed. Peter he was fine with saying “No” to. But Malia was right. She deserved to know the truth, especially since she knew she’d been adopted now and her birth father had no memory of her mother or her birth.

“Meet me at the clinic, then. Both of you.”

 

Kate slung her shotgun over her shoulder and looked around. She couldn’t believe that the Hale House hadn’t been torn down yet. She’d tried to kill Derek several times on the property.

 

_I don’t know why you have such a vendetta against the Hales and werewolves, but drop it now. It only got you killed and turned, your sister in law and father killed. You’re a supernatural now. Deal with it!_

 

Isabel’s words came to mind. It had been Gerard that had said that the Hales were the enemy. “Know thy enemy, Kate.” he used to say. And she did. She’d even slept with the enemy and made him fall in love with her. A part of her had somewhat liked him, who wouldn’t have wanted to get close to the adorable teenager he had been?, but she was never in love with Derek. But now she knew what he went through when she set fire to the house with all the Hales inside. Derek and Laura were the only two not there. She hadn’t really wanted to kill Derek, truthfully, which was why she chose to do it when he and Laura had left for school. Which had been earlier than usual due to a before school meeting Laura had. Derek had gone with her since they were both in high school at the time. She caught a fresh scent and spun around, aiming her pistol at Isabel.

“Planning on shooting me now?”

“I don’t have the right kind of bullets to kill you.”

“Typical. We help your brother and you still want to kill us.”

“Call it an old habit.” Isabel stood her ground, not budging, before Kate finally uncocked the pistol and put it back into her thigh holster. “What do you want? Why are you here?”

“I want to know why.”

“Why what?”

“Why did you do it? Why did you trap the Hales and burn them alive?”

“They were the enemy. We couldn’t prove that Derek took a human life, so I set out to prove that they had it in them. Talia’s friend, Deucalion, attacked Gerard and his men. Gerard was forced to defend himself.”

“We both know that’s a load of bull. Gerard is a liar. He came to Beacon Hills to finish what you started. When you murdered innocent children. You murdered an entire family, human and werewolf alike. And you have no remorse over it.”

“No I don’t. I eliminated a threat to Beacon Hills.”

“Yes, because Talia was such a huge threat to Beacon Hills.”

“She was a werewolf. She was a powerful Alpha that attracted other packs here. It was only a matter of time before one of those packs killed an innocent bystander.”

“So killing the whole family was supposed to put a stop to that? You created a monster out of Peter Hale before the Argents, Derek, Scott, Stiles and Jackson were able to put a stop to him. It wasn’t the Hales that attracted a kanima that your father decided that he needed to control in order to get the Bite himself,” Kate just looked at her.

“You’re lying! My father would never do that!”

“Are you listening to my heart? Gerard was dying of cancer. He was certain that forcing Derek to bite him would cure that cancer. And he was planning on killing Derek to become the Alpha.”

“He should have! Gerard was a good man!”

“Gerard was more of a psychopath than Peter ever was!” Kate flicked out her claws and leapt at Isabel. Isabel side stepped her and Kate crashed into the banister. “You can’t blame everything on the Hales. You took away the one thing that was standing between supernatural threats and the people of Beacon Hills!”

“So is this where the current girlfriend tell the ex to stay away from her boyfriend.”

“Why should I? I’m not threatened by you.”

“You should be.”

“He doesn’t love you. He hates you. He would have killed you at the hospital had I not stopped him. And I only did that to preserve his secret.”

“There’s no one here to protect any secrets from.”

“No, there isn’t.” Isabel still gave no sign of her supernatural side. “I also want to know why you took Derek when I was the one you needed to bargain with Vincent.”

“I wanted Scott. I wanted a cure!”

“So does Scott! What makes you think he knows the cure? Do you not think he would have already taken advantage of that? Do you not think he would be leading a normal life?”

“Maybe killing Peter will get me that cure!”

“He’s not an Alpha anymore, you idiot,” Kate hissed at Isabel. “Your hate is going to get you killed again,” Kate swiped at Isabel, catching her left arm and leaving four long gashes on it. Isabel punched her in the face, breaking her nose. Kate set her nose as it healed.

“So are we going to duke it out here?”

“Seems a fitting place,” Isabel flicked her fingers, causing her talons to come out, and Kate transformed and roared at her. Kate leapt at her again and Isabel swiped her across the stomach. The two exchanged blows in what used to be the living room of the Hale house. Isabel gained the upper hand before slamming her into the floor, her eyes glowing bright blue. Kate kicked her off and Isabel rolled several times before landing in a crouch. Kate came after her again and Isabel threw out her burst of light. Kate crashed into the fire place.

“It was you,” she suddenly said. “In the loft.”

“Yes.” Isabel was on one knee, breathing heavily. “Araya wants you. The Calaveras want you. That’s why they were in the loft. She saw you at the hospital. She thinks Scott is harboring you.”

“Why should I care?”

“Because Chris and every innocent human connected with the pack will get caught in the crossfire if she goes after Scott,” Isabel stood. “You may not care about the others, but I know you care about Chris,” Kate regained her feet. “Lead Araya away from Beacon Hills. Do some good for once in your life, Kate!”

“You expect me to sacrifice myself for Scott’s pack?”

“No, I expect you get out of Beacon Hills and never come back. Talia used to tell Derek and his sisters that they were predators, but they didn’t have to be killers. That was the Hales’ code. If I could find you, so can the Hunters,” Kate grabbed her bag and started to walk out the front. “Go through the basement tunnel. And cover your tracks,” Kate turned and headed towards where the basement entrance was. Then she stopped.

“Why are you helping me?”

“I couldn’t save my brother, but maybe I can save you from the path you’re on. Get out of here.”

“Tell them I really am sorry.” Kate turned and disappeared into the more damaged part of the house.

 

 

Scott stood behind Peter, Talia’s claws embedded under his own once again. Deaton stood nearby, arms folded, observing.

“Are you sure about this Peter?” Peter nodded, preparing himself for the pain that comes with claws going into the back of one’s neck. He was on one knee, forsaking the chair he was offered.

“I need to know. And Malia has a right to know.”

“Talia had her reasons,” Deaton said. “You don’t have to go through with this.”

“I know you probably know, Doc, but I want to hear it from her. I want to hear the story and her reasoning in her words,” Scott placed his left hand on Peter’s shoulder to steady him when he did the ritual and the tips of the claws against the back of his neck. “Do it,” Scott shoved the claws into Peter’s neck and he grunted, the pain showing on his face as he clinched his teeth. Everything took on a blue hue and Peter knew exactly where he was. In his subconscious, the others were not there. He stood and turned. He was in the clinic but the Nemeton was taking up most of the space. A large black wolf stood on top of the Nemeton watching him. Her eyes suddenly glowed bright red. Peter’s face softened at seeing his sister.

“Talia,” he whispered. Talia shifted forms.

“Hello, baby brother,” she said.

 

 

“You remember nothing?” Rafe asked. He, Stilinski, Melissa and a doctor were in the room. Chris shook his head.

“Last thing I remember is getting into my car. After that it’s blank.”

“You were going to help Isaac and Ethan with Ethan’s motorcycle?”

“Yeah, but I don’t remember arriving. Like I said, everything’s blank.”

“Thanks, Mr. Argent. I’m not going to bother you with any more questions,” Chris nodded. Rafe motioned for the doctor to lead the way. “I wish you a speedy recovery,” He gave Stilinski a quick nod before following the doctor. Melissa checked to make sure the coast was clear before nodding.

“So the official story is car accident?”

“The boys came up with the whole story. We have an APB on a bogus license plate. Apparently, a black sedan came out of nowhere and hit you, so you’ll have to forgive them for the bruising on your side.”

“At least they thought it through.”

“What really happened?”

“Vincent threw me against a wall when Ethan, Braeden and I went to help Derek. There’s some dented lockers from Derek’s head,” Melissa chuckled.

“Your sister was here. You have her, Derek and Isabel to thank for you being conscious right now.”

“Kate? Kate actually worked with Derek and Isabel?”

“They wouldn’t say what they did, but it was pretty draining on Derek. Kate took off once she realized I knew who she was. But I’m more worried about this Araya woman. She was harassing Scott over Kate,” Chris sighed.

“If she’s still in town, I’ll talk to her. She’s supposed to be leaving the pack alone. Did they succeed with Vincent?”

“Derek succeeded in drawing Vincent to the lacrosse field. Ended up breaking every rib, a hip and his arm in two places, but he was successful. Vincent nearly killed Isabel again, according to Derek. Rafe showed up with a clip of nightshade laced bullets and killed Vincent. We actually didn’t see Isabel for several days afterwards. Derek was here almost every day to check on you,” Melissa answered. “He was worried that you wouldn’t make it.”

“You know he saved my life when that bomb went off in the sheriff’s office,” Stilinski nodded.

“He took a back full of shrapnel and glass for you. He also shoved one of my deputies halfway across the room and out of range of the blast.”

“And he’s saved my life again.”

“The doctors are going to want to do an MRI on you to make sure there’s no damage or bleeding, although I have a feeling they won’t find any,” Chris chuckled.

“Of course.”


	19. Life Saver

“They just left town,” Parrish said over the phone, Stilinski on the other end. The deputy was sitting in his personal car in civilian clothes. He’d followed Araya’s SUV from the hotel the Calaveras had been staying in during their time in Beacon Hills. “I don’t know how many people she left behind but she’s gone.”

 _“Good,”_ Stilinski said. _“One less thing for me to worry about.”_ Parrish chuckled.

“At least until the next supernatural threat.”

_“That is true. I really hope we have a break first,._

“Yeah, me too. But this is Beacon Hills.”

_“Good point. Come back to the station.”"_

“Alright,” Parrish hung up and turned his car around on the shoulder, waiting as a black sedan crossed the city limits, before pulling out behind them.

 

“You know, I can walk, Melissa,” Chris said as Melissa pushed him through the halls in a wheelchair.

“You know, it’s hospital policy.”

“It’s a stupid policy,” Melissa chuckled.

“I know.” They reached the lobby and Melissa released Chris from the chair. Together they walked out of the hospital. In the patient pickup area, Derek leaned against his Cruiser, his hands in his jacket pockets. He gave a smile.

“Thought you might want a ride,” he said.

“I appreciate that.” Melissa placed a hand on Chris’ shoulder as Derek turned and opened the passenger door.

“I leave you in good hands,” Chris chuckled before climbing into the Cruiser.

“Thanks, Derek.”

“Ethan and Isaac took your car back to your apartment building. I just thought it’d be simpler just to give you a ride home than have someone follow me to the hospital so I could drop it off.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. Melissa told me what you, Isabel and Kate did. Thank you for saving my life again.”

“You’re my friend, Chris. I haven’t really had many of those outside the pack since the fire,” Chris looked at Derek, never expecting in his lifetime to hear Derek admit to viewing the former Hunter as a friend.

“What exactly did you do? She wouldn’t give me any details.”

“Because I didn’t give her any.” Derek was silent for several minutes. Chris started to think the werewolf wasn’t going to give him the details either.

“Did anyone tell you about what happened after Isabel and I escaped from Kate?” he finally said about the time Chris decided that Derek wasn’t going to tell him.

“I was at the clinic when they brought you in. She said that her blood had a healing property to it,” Derek nodded.

“Vincent threw a dagger at Scott. I intercepted and it hit me instead. With the amount of electricity Kate had used on me to try to force me to give up Scott, my healing process was a bit lacking. In fact, I wasn’t healing at all. Isabel cut open her palm and let the blood drip into my wound. I remember nothing after that.”

“She didn’t know it would work. Isabel said she’d never done that to a wolf.”

“But she said she did it to plenty of humans. We caught Kate in your hospital room. I would have killed her if Isabel hadn’t interfered. It was her idea to try on you what she did on me and managed to convince Kate to let go of her hate long enough to help her save your life. She taught Kate how to take away pain and the two of us worked on your pain while Isabel used her blood to heal you.”

“And it drained you?”

“A bit. I can draw more than Kate could. I drew until I couldn’t handle the pain anymore. By that time, Isabel was finished,” Chris nodded.

“I don’t think we’ll ever be even,” Derek chuckled. “You saved my life at the sheriff’s station and now this.”

“You did spare mine when the nogitsune had me under his control.”

“I was praying you’d gain control so I wouldn’t have to kill you in self-defense.” Despite being under the nogitsune’s control, Derek remembered everything about that day. He remembered picking the fight with Chris, covering him with lighter fluid and telling him he was going to make Allison watch her family burn like his had. Shortly afterwards, Chris broke free and shoved a gun under his chin while Derek had his claws against Chris’ throat. _I don’t want to kill you, Derek. Please don’t make me kill you._

“Derek?” Chris broke through Derek’s thoughts. Derek parked in front of Chris’ apartment building.

“I’m glad you didn’t have to,” Chris climbed out of the Cruiser and turned.

“Tell Isabel thank you for me as well.”

“I will.”

 

Peter gasped, falling forward onto his hands. Scott staggered backwards, Deaton steadying him. Malia knelt next to her father, placing her hand on his shoulder.

“She… she did it to protect you,” Peter whispered. “Talia didn’t feel you’d be safe.”

“Why?”

“She didn’t feel that you’d be safe with your mother. Or even among us. That’s why you were given up for adoption.”

“Talia didn’t come to me about this,” Deaton said. “I didn’t know about you until recently.”

“So it wasn’t because I was a coyote?”

“No. She probably didn’t even know if you were supernatural. She was only thinking about keeping you safe,” Malia laid her head on Peter’s shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. “But I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere,” Deaton started removing Talia’s claws from under Scott’s.

“I hope not,” Peter answered, placing a hand on her arm.

 

“Hey, Dad,” Stilinski looked up as Stiles walked into his office.

“Hey, kid. What’s up?” Stiles’ help up a take-out bag.

“Lunch.”

“Smells good,” Stiles took out a couple of burger boxes.

“I promise they’re real burgers this time.”

“Good. I’m starving,” Stiles smiled.

“Any word on Kate?”

“Scott, Peter and Derek tracked her to the Hale house, but she covered her scent afterwards. They think she may have left town. No one has seen her at all.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“Neither are we,” Stiles popped a couple of fries into his mouth.

“What about Araya?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. Parrish saw her leave town. She may be trying to track down Kate, but I don’t know how many of the Calaveras she left behind.” The two then turned their talk to police work and current cases.

 

 

They parked the black sedan outside the animal clinic and watched. The man, the driver, had a professional camera in his hands and took several pictures of the people that came in and out of the clinic. A teenager on a green dirt bike pulled up and the man took several shots of him before he disappeared into the clinic.

“Are we sure who we’re looking for is even in Beacon Hills?” the woman asked.

“The client is positive.”

“But why the animal clinic?”

“Call it a hunch.”

“Your hunches usually end badly.” The two didn’t say another word for several more hours. A woman with brown hair exited the clinic. The man took several shots of her as she walked to a midnight blue Mustang, laughing at something whoever she was talking to on the phone was saying.

“That has to be her.”

“Are you sure?”

“That has to be Isabel Sullivan. She’s the one the client wants. She has information the client wants.”


End file.
